Inner Essence
by Shirraz78
Summary: A prisoner of war and prisoner to a new parasite lying within her, Sun Shang Xiang's inner fire begins to diminish with every passing breath. No longer fully able to rely on her family or best friend to save her, will she endure? Not instant love right off the bat. Read on, enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Phew* This is my first piece of work, so please be gentle, but by all means be honest! I aim to please, and that means fixing or tweaking things.**

**I do not own any of the characters. They are owned by KOEI Corporation.**

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"Lu Xun…" spoke a soft, gentle voice.

"Lu Xun, wake up." the voice encouraged again.

"Oh, Lu Xun…" the voice sighed in defeat.

_~Outside the Wu Palace, In the Gardens_

POV of Lu Xun-

*The sun…it's so bright…*

I awoke and lifted myself up from the silky grass and sat leaned up against the tree. I relaxed myself and listened to the many songs of the birds that mixed with the rhythm of the wind swaying through the trees. I began to melt into a slumber all over again when…

"HEY!" The same familiar voice called out to me again.

A young slim figure was running over in my direction, waving their hand. They wore a shirt with a white torso and red short sleeves, and rouge colored shorts with long deep red stockings under them. They had short brownish-red hair and finally, complete with a red headband around their forehead.

"Well, if it isn't Lady Sun Shang Xiang." I purposely announced loudly with closed eyes.

"Hehe, after I woke up, I tried waking you, but I guess you really needed the nap."

I yawned, "No, it's all right, Princess, but I appreciate the extra minutes."

"Oh, you have GOT to stop referring to me as 'Princess.' We've known each other long enough where it sounds weird when you say it. Just say my name. Not Princess. Not Lady Sun. Just Shang Xiang."

"Still, I don't want to be disrespectful."

"Lu Xun," she said to get my attention.

I looked over.

"Shut up." She giggled at me.

"Ok. Ok. I'll try my best this time."

"You say that every time."

After a peaceful pause, looking at the river, she spoke again.

"Say…you want to patrol the outside of the city with me tomorrow?"

*WHAT?!*

"Uhhh, my Lady-I mean, Shang Xiang, why are you suddenly on the list for patrol?"

"Oh, I'm glad you asked! I finally was able to convince brother Quan to allow me on the list."

*That's insane! Why on earth would she WANT to be on border patrol? It's the most boring job in the kingdom! Petty patrol is meant for lower ranked soldiers or even volunteer civilians. Once every month, one of the Wu generals takes a shift just to keep enemies on their toes. No sensible general wants the job, hence the purpose of creating an unchangeable list. I guess her brother being the emperor lifts certain restrictions for her.*

She stared at me looking for some sort of response or reaction. "…What's the matter?"

"Oh nothing. Nothing! I just don't understand your thinking sometimes."

"I don't see anything wrong with it though."

"Well, it's boring, for one thing. No one wants that job."

"Wait a minute, think of it from my perspective though. I rarely get any action in my life. All I have is sparring with you or my brothers, who I KNOW take it easy on me, and training on my own or with Lian Shi. What's so wrong about that?"

"Nothing is wrong with that, Lady Sun" I received a death glare from her. "I mean, Shang Xiang. Anyway, I get it, but, and don't get mad at me, BUT what if…what if…" I suddenly could not get the words out. I felt my face getting warmer by the second.

"What if...something…happens?" Luckily, she finished my sentence for me.

"Exactly. Explain that to me." I said confidently.

Quick as a flash, "Who do you think you're talking to? I am Sun Shang Xiang: daughter of Sun Jian, the tiger of Jiang Dong and Lady Wu. Sister to The Little Conqueror, Sun Ce, and sister to Sun Quan, the current Wu emperor. I have been training in martial arts for practically all of my 18 years." She spoke with confidence to me and then looked at me straight in the eye. "And Lu Xun, we've been friends for several years, I thought you would understand that." She said that last sentence with a tone of pity and gave me the puppy eyes that made me feel both guilty and flattered.

I let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Right…"

"So…again, would you…like to…join me?" She asked, unable to make eye contact with me for some reason.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm going to see if I can switch in with someone else."

"Thanks a lot. I appreciate it." She joyfully expressed her gratitude.

_~ Inside the Wu Palace_

POV of Sun Shang Xiang-

*I'm so excited. I finally get to go on a patrol. And thankfully I have a friend that will come along with me. I'm excited, but still so nervous.*

"Lady Shang Xiang!"

POW* We were both on the floor.

"Ouch…Lady Xiao Qiao, what was that for?" I asked while rubbing head.

"I heard you have a date with Lu Xun! You sly little vixen, you two are FINALLY getting togeth-!"

"Shush! Why on earth are you saying stuff like that?! We're just friends, Xiao Qiao. Nothing more."

"Oh, Shang Xiang, no need to be so secretive. You can be honest with me. You two are a match made in heaven."

"Stop it! Don't talk that way. Lu Xun and I are very good friends and I'm sure he likes it that way, and so do I…"

"Ugh…whatever you say, Shang Xiang…" she concluded her prodding with a skeptical smile.

~_Inside the Wu Palace, Shang Xiang's Room_

I put my bag down on the floor in the corner and began getting my wardrobe together for tomorrow. She took a seat on my bed.

She noticed my mother's locket hanging over my bed on its golden chain.

"Wow, this is so beautiful! Pure gold…and it looks like a heart! This is so cute! Shang Xiang, wherever did you get this?"

"Hehe, that's my mother's locket. My father gave it to me when I was little. He said it was very important to my mother and that she would have wanted me to have it for good luck…I love it."

"It truly is amazing. Such a precious treasure that holds a precious memory."

I couldn't help but smile with pride at my locket.

"So, Shang Xiang…"

"Hmm?"

"I heard you're bordering our pretty little city tomorrow…" she nervously stated.

"Yes, I am…Want to go?!" I asked with enthusiasm.

"Heck, no! How could you even ask me something like that? I cannot stand fighting. I only fought when my Lord Zhou Yu needed me. I would never choose to go otherwise, let alone put myself in a situation that merely holds potential of fighting."

"Are you sure? You're so graceful when you fight. You can take care of yourself no problem."

"No, Shang Xiang!" She shouted at me.

I froze. There was a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. You are the princess, after all…"

"No, it's all right. I shouldn't have pushed you more after you told me you didn't want to."

She lowered her head in shame for her outburst.

"I just…I just don't understand why you would simply WANT to battle. I've never met any woman who wanted to fight just to fight."

"Well…"

"What is your reason for fighting, Shang Xiang?"

_~ Inside the Wu Palace, Lu Xun's Room_

POV of Lu Xun-

*These parchments are so heavy. I can hardly see where I'm going. I hope this is my desk.*

I slammed all of the scrolls and parchment on my desk.

*I'm so foolish. I should have tried harder to discourage her from this. What kind of friend am I?* There was a knock on the door.

"Lu Xun, I need to talk to you." A voice from the other side insisted.

"Uh, yes! Hold on a second, please!" I scrambled to tidy up my desk quickly.

"Lu Xun, now." The voice demanded.

I started towards the door.

"Yes, already! I told you to hold on." I opened the door and immediately bowed down.

It was Emperor Sun Quan of Wu.

"Ahh! I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't know it was you. Please forgive me for my rudeness." I didn't dare look at him in the eyes.

"Lighten up, Lu Xun. Take it easy. It's all right. I needed to talk to you about tomorrow."

*Oh no…* I offered him my desk chair while I sat down on my bed.

"It seems that my sister was very insistent on assisting our forces. She really wants to join us in battle, but I wanted her to start out with something a little smaller. I know I'm being over protective, but…But I know she is very capable. And who knows? Shang Xiang could prove to be extremely valuable on the battlefield, don't you think?"

"Y-yes, I do, but are you sure you are 100% ok with this, my Lord?"

"I am. It is nice to know that someone she and I both trust is going with her. You, Lu Xun.

"I'm honored to serve Wu and the Sun family in any way I can, my Lord."

"And that is exactly what makes you one of our most valuable and important officers, Lu Xun."

"Your words are too much, my lord. They mean a lot to me."

"Well, that is all I wanted to discuss with you. Have a good night, Lu Xun."

I immediately stood up and bowed to him. "And you, too, my lord."

_~ Inside the Wu Palace, The Library_

*I need to get this done. Master Lu Meng ordered me to give some input on our next battle. Shu was supposed to merely temporarily station themselves at Jing Province until they establish a more stronger and bigger domain for themselves. Shu captured Yi Province a while ago, but still have not returned Jing to us as promised. General Guan Yu is in charge of Jing. The original plan is to take it while Guan Yu is attacking the north, but…maybe…maybe if we gain his trust more, that will lower his guard and maybe he won't leave as many troops at Jing when he goes to attack Wei in the north. With lower Shu troops at Jing, we might be able to take it back quickly and-*

"Lu Xun!"

"Gan Ning,…what is it?" I asked with much impatience and irritation.

"Someone has a date with a certain princess tomorrow, I hear." He punched my shoulder, teasingly.

Blood instantly rushed to my face. "For crying out loud, it's nothing like that. She asked me to come along, so I am. Why is everyone making this out to be more than it is?"

"Everyone? So I'm not the only one who thought this?"

"Erm…well, no. The two Qiaos confronted me about it, as did Lord Lu Meng."

"Well, everyone can only assume that because not only did we hear it will be the two of you, but we saw Lord Sun Quan have a talk with you about it in your room."

"…wait, how did you know that that is what we talked about?...You mean, all of you were outside of my door listening to our conversation?!" I felt my face immediately go pale.

He laughed at me with a wide, stupid grin on his face.

"Watch out, Lu Xun. You don't want to be attacked by mean old bandits tomorrow. Beware!" He mockingly said while exiting the library.

*Great. Bandits. Another thing I have to worry about.*


	2. Testing the Waters

**I'll put the first couple chapters up just so I can get some plot going. Again, ENJOY! :D**

**I do not own any of the characters. They are owned by KOEI Corporation.**

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_~ Outside of the Wu Palace, The Next Early Morning_

POV of Sun Shang Xiang-

*Ok, Shang Xiang. This will be great. This will be good for you. Make the best of it.*

"Ready, Shang Xiang?" Lu Xun asked in a very exhausted, uninterested tone.

"Yes, sir!" He flinched a little from my sudden burst of enthusiasm.

"Go!" I pointed straight ahead!...Our horses only held a slow trot the entire time.

*Lame.*

We held the same speed for what seemed to be hours. The sun was already directly above us now.

*This is NOT what I thought it was going to be.*

"Ugh…"

"What's wrong, Shang Xiang?"

"I guess I should have listened to you and everyone else. This is pretty boring, isn't it? And now I dragged you into it. I'm sorry, Lu Xun." I was so embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it, Shang Xiang. I understand….but I DID tell you so." He smiled with a wink and then kicked me off of my horse with one foot. I landed flat on my back.

"You little jerk! How dare you push a princess off of her horse?"

"Oh, no! No, you don't! You can't pull the princess card on me after all these years of insisting you did NOT want to be called that,…PRIN-CESS." He had a wide grin held across his face.

"Y-you…b-but…ahh!" We couldn't help but laugh.

All of a sudden, something shot out from the trees. It hit me in the back of the neck. It was a sharp pain. I immediately turned around to see what was thrown at me. What on earth? Lu Xun was already in front of me with his twin sabers out. He's fast, as expected from someone with more experience than myself. He yelled out, "Identify yourself! This is a capital offense against the Wu Kingdom!"

Then I heard a noise from behind me again. Our horses got our attention. Someone was going through our stuff! A man took my mother's locket from my bag and ran off into the woods.

"No! Get back here!" I yelled after him. I immediately got onto my horse and snapped the reins. I took off into the woods on my own.

"Shang Xiang! Come back!" I heard Lu Xun yell.

I ignored him. I had to find the man. Of all the things he could have possibly taken… I searched frantically. I began to panic, when I finally saw him ahead.

*There you are.*

I grabbed my chakrams and while my horse was still running, I leapt off and kicked the man in the back of the head. He landed on his front and turned over to face me. I immediately had the blade of one of my chakrams by his throat.

"Place it where you are. And slowly back away. Try anything funny, and I will finish you. I'm not afraid to use these." I tried to sound intimidating.

The man obliged and placed the locket on the ground from his shaking hands. He pushed it towards me.

"Please, leave." I said sternly.

He crawled away from me. And when he was a safe distance away, he gave a sinister smirk and disappeared in the shadows of the trees.

I bent down to pick up my locket. A little dirty, but no damage.

"Shang Xiang!"

"Lu Xun! You should have seen me! I was on my horse! And then I jumped up in the air! But wait! The horse was still running! And-"

When he reached me, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pinned me up against a tree. His head was down. I couldn't see his face.

"Lu-Lu Xun, are you all right?" I reached out to his arm, but then he smacked away my hand.

"Shang Xiang…how foolish are you?" I stared at him in awe. "Why did you do that? Why did you just run off into the woods by yourself where many bandits and enemies lie in wait for a lone girl like you to come along?"

I still couldn't see his face.

"He…he had my mother's locket. I had to go after him. I-"

"That's no excuse, you idiot! Don't forget that you're a girl! And not just any girl!" His voice began to get louder. He raised his head and looked me straight in the eye. "You're a princess of the Sun family."

There was a deep silence filling the air as we stared at each other. The trees rustled with the swaying wind. A cloud passed over, briefly blocking out the sunlight for a few seconds. The sunlight finally returned to us.

He broke the silence. "Shang Xiang, the fact of the matter is that your life is very important; not just politically, but to other people, too."

"I'm sorry, Lu Xun…I just saw something important being taken away from me. I didn't know if I was ever going to see it again. I didn't even think. I…I just had to go after it."

He took a deep breath. "Let's just head back to the palace. I think we've had enough of an experience today."

I nodded. "Lu Xun, can you please not tell brother? If he found out about this, I'll never be able to go out on the battlefield."

"Shang Xiang, I have to tell him. Besides, I would be in huge trouble if I did not tell him and he happened to find out on his own."

I grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him towards me. "Lu Xun, please don't." I begged. "Please."

He let out a sigh. I hope that's a 'yes.'

_~ The Wu Palace, In Lord Sun Quan's Chambers, That Evening_

*Brother Quan had called me to his chambers. I know I am in so much trouble.*

I opened the door and walked into the large room.

"Shang Xiang, sit down." He said.

I sat down on a chair that was placed in the middle of the room. Brother sat crossing his arms and Lord Lu Meng and Lu Xun were standing off to the side. Lu Xun refused to look me in the eye. His face looked very disturbed and upset. I guess his sheepishness could only mean one thing.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as I looked back and forth from person to person.

"…Broth-"

"Shang Xiang, we heard what happened." He cut me off.

I let out a sigh. As much as I expected this, I couldn't help but feel slightly caught off guard all the same.

I just bowed my head in shame and said nothing with my hands cupped together.

"I'm really…disappointed." His words cut me so deeply. "Your actions today have really discouraged me in allowing you to join future battles." I kept my head down. I was so embarrassed.

"Brother, I'm sorry." I looked at Lu Meng and Lu Xun. "All of you, I am so sorry," I looked at Lu Xun, who finally looked back at me, "Especially you, Lu Xun. I put you in that position in the first place and then acted foolishly."

"Shang Xiang…it's oka-" he tried to reassure me.

"It's not." I sternly cut him off. I looked back at my brother. "Brother, as foolish as my decision was, I still believe that I proved my worth and capabilities in combat. That can also be said for defending and holding my own, too."

"I can attest to that, my Lord." Lu Xun agreed with me. "As I was racing after her, I could see her in the distance. She took care of that bandit with no problems at all."

Sun Quan looked at Lu Meng, eyeing him for an opinion. "This is entirely up to you, my Lord. I believe in the princess' abilities, but I also believe that she is still naïve to the dangers of this world. More caution is held here because she is in fact the princess."

"I wouldn't be so naïve to the ways of this world if you guys didn't keep me shut up in this palace for most of my life!" I stood up. Quan snapped his head towards me and Lu Xun slapped his own forehead and began shaking his head. *I am such an idiot.*

"You listen to me, Shang Xiang," Quan stood up and walked toward me. "First of all, you will not disrespect anyone in my chambers. Second, you are naïve to this world because you live in this fantasy land in your head and you don't take our warnings seriously! Look at your friend." He pointed at Lu Xun, who kept his head down. "He told you time after time that you must stay close and not just run off anywhere by yourself. He's told you that your whole life! All of us have ever since you were little! And yet, you still think that you're invincible and you know everything."

The room went silent. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. Brother Quan was so angry. I rarely see him this angry. His fiery eyes stayed fixated on me. He took a deep breath and walked over to his book shelf. His back was to me. "I was going to let you join Lord Lu Meng for the upcoming mission depending on how well today went…but…but you proved to me, to everyone that you are not ready."

"Brother, how can you say that?" I began to protest.

He turned and walked towards me. "My decision is final. You are not going to Jing," he stated harshly as he looked down to me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I lowered my head and clenched my fists tightly with anger. "End of discussion. You are all dismissed." He walked out of his chambers in quick strides, slamming the double doors open. Lu Meng followed him. The room was so quiet. I could feel Lu Xun staring at me. I refused to lift my head and open my eyes.

"Shang Xiang…I'm sorry-"

"Better not listen to me anymore, Lu Xun. I might ruin everything for you." I turned away and began to walk out. He grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. My back was still facing him. I took a deep breath. "I'm not angry at you, Lu Xun… The only person I am angry at is me and me alone…"

"Shang Xiang, please. Giving a self-administered tongue lashing won't fix anything."

"I'm an idiot, Lu Xun." My voice cracked. "I only caused everyone worry and trouble."

_~ The Wu Palace, Lu Xun's Room_

POV of Lu Xun-

I sat at my desk staring at the ceiling.

*I hope Shang Xiang isn't mad at me. I…I had no choice. I had to say something. If she was reckless on the battlefield the same way she was today, something worse could have happened...not only that, but…what was it I felt earlier…what was this sick feeling?*

"Ugh, why are such thoughts intruding my mind? I shouldn't be worried about it anymore. I took care of it. She won't be joining us at tomorrow's battle, especially after that spectacle. Ok, I need to focus on tomorrow. I need to get some sleep."

Just then I heard a knock on my door. This late? It was Lord Lu Meng.

"Lu Xun, I just wanted to talk to you. I believe you did the right thing today."

"Forgive me, my Lord, but why do I feel like I did the exact opposite?"

"Simple. Because Lady Shang Xiang is your friend."

"I just…I don't want her to be mad at me either. She told me she was not, but I can't help but believe she is."

"She wasn't, Lu Xun. She seemed more embarrassed than anything."

We paused for a moment.

"Master Lu Meng, can I…share something with you?"

"Anything, Lu Xun."

"Well, after I realized she was hit with something, I scanned the woods instantly and…I felt something weird…something very dark."

"Dark? What do you mean?"

"I don't know how to describe it. I felt something very…evil, sinister, dark; I don't know how to label it. It wasn't a good feeling though."

"Hmm. That is very strange."

"But that's not all. Once Shang Xiang and I were headed back, I still felt it. Almost like it was moving with me, this feeling."

His eyes looked as if he was deep in thought. Almost like he might at least have somewhat of an idea of what I felt earlier.

"Let me think on this, Lu Xun. I will see you early in the morning. Tomorrow night…we leave for Jing."


	3. Resolve

**Very short, I know.**

**For any questions that need clearing up of any kind, please private message me by all means. :) **

**I do not own the characters. They are owned by KOEI Corporation.**

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_~ The Wu Palace, In the Middle of the Night, Shang Xiang's Room, Nightmare_

POV of Shang Xiang-

The middle of the woods…what? I looked all around me. It was dark, blacker than night time itself. My hands were holding something. My chakrams. I looked down and I had my weapons pointed at a man. This man…he was the one who took my locket!

"What's going on? What are you doing here?"

He gave me a frightening smile and then his face began to melt off. It splattered on the ground, where the rest of his body began to melt into a dark puddle.

I let out a shriek and stumbled backwards. The black puddle of the man seeped into the ground until I could no longer see it. Then a hand grabbed my shoulder. I screamed so loud and turned around. It was another man, but he was different. He was dressed in almost royal-like attire. He was wearing a blue robe with a peculiar hat on and in his hand, he wielded a dark fan.

Defiant, I tried not to show my fear as best as I could. "Who are you?!"

He laughed at me. His laugh made my skin crawl and my body shivered briefly. It was a deep, sinister laugh.

I pointed my chakram at him. "Quit it…stop that! Just answer my question!"

He raised his hand and slowly began to clench his fist. All of a sudden, I felt excruciating pain in the back of my neck. It felt like a dagger was being forced into me. A blinding, purple light shined from the back of my neck. Without control, I dropped my chakrams and I fell to the floor. I raised my head to look at him. He clenched his fist tighter, the pain worsened and I felt myself being forced closer to the ground. It hurts…

Tears formed in my eyes. I can't do that…I can't give him that satisfaction. Again, I raised my head to the best of my ability to try and look at him. He had a frightening smile on his face. A smile of satisfaction, pleasure, and amusement for over powering another being.

My hands began to darken…like a dark purple.

"Please! Stop it!" I screamed.

I opened my eyes. I lifted myself up and looked around. My room? But…how? Without thinking, I immediately felt my neck. It didn't hurt that much. Well, I felt a bump there from earlier when I got hit. *So it's just a bruise then.* I laid my head back down. I kept thinking back to what happened in Brother's chambers.

_~ Flashback_

"I'm an idiot, Lu Xun." I began to hyperventilate. "D-did you see my brother's face?!" I turned around finally to face him. "He was so angry with me. Brother Quan has never spoken to me like that before!" I felt tears forming in my eyes. Lu Xun looked at me in shock. I rarely cry in front of people. "Something so petty, so unimportant, so small, and I managed to make it into a bigger deal than it was. A stupid, stupid, little thief started all of this!" I slammed my foot on the ground. "And you want to know the worst part, Lu Xun?" I began to laugh a little bit. "I still do not regret one thing! I would've gone after my mother's locket no matter who took it or who was with me!" I must have looked like I was losing my mind, to him.

"Princess…" he tried to calm me down.

"Ugh!" I exclaimed and clenched my fists tighter. "Some 'princess' I turned out to be. I need to be alone…Lu Xun, I'm sorry." I left him there probably shocked from what he just saw. *I screwed up.*

~ _The Next Night, Troop Send off_

POV of Lu Xun

All of the men were lined up in formation, ready to march on. Lu Meng and I were at the front of the army on our horses with one soldier in between us holding a lantern. The officers, Lord Sun Quan, and the people of Wu surrounded us to see us off. I looked through the crowds eager to find one person. I scanned for Shang Xiang. I only got to talk to her once after what happened last night.

"Looking for someone, Lu Xun?" Lu Meng made me jump a little bit.

I didn't say anything at first. "I…I was hoping someone would be here." I admitted in defeat.

POV of Shang Xiang

I was standing on the roof of the palace, watching the ceremony in the distance.

*I'm sorry, Lu Xun. I wish I could tell you Brother forbid me from attending. That was his way of making sure I didn't "sneak away." Ridiculous. It's more like further punishment for yesterday.*

Suddenly, I heard a roar of cheers. The army began to move. I walked along the roof so I could watch the little light at the front of the army for as long as it stayed in sight. Once I couldn't see it anymore, I embraced myself and lowered my head. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I started to weep and lowered my head into my hands.

I wiped my tears away with one sleeve.*I can't let things happen this way. I have to…I have to move!*


	4. Taken

**Everybody still with me? :P**

**I do not own any of the characters. They belong to KOEI Corporation.**

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_~ The Border of Jing, Fan Castle, Sunrise_

POV of Lu Xun-

"Lord Lu Meng, I'm nervous."

"Easy, Lu Xun. It's very normal. You should be proud of yourself though. Sending those letters of praise to Guan Yu while he attacked Wei was a brilliant idea. Look at them."

We scanned the Shu camps and how little their numbers were.

"They have no idea either."

"As dangerous a consequence as this may be, Guan Yu is far too powerful to be left standing." Lu Meng said.

"Sir, so you thought about what could happen as well, too? I have an uneasy feeling."

"We need to set out." He interrupted. "It's time, Lu Xun. Let's put your plan into motion. I am very proud of what a fine strategist you have grown into." He patted me on the back. I felt so honored.

Our forces quietly approached from the shore.

*Guan Yu is focused on Wei right now. With his attention on them, we should be able to smoothly and quickly take back our territory. Once he figures out we're here, he will most likely retreat to Fan Castle and put up all of his defenses that he has left.*

"All right, Lu Xun. That's the first base right over there." Lu Meng pointed out.

"We need to be as careful and silent as we can. We're going to take down each and every tower BEFORE they have the chance to alert Guan Yu. We need to buy as much time as we can. Go in, take down the tower before they can light the flame, and kill any soldiers who try to flee towards other bases." I explained.

"Everyone, we move as one whole unit. With each base we take, I want two troops to stay and occupy that base while the rest of us move on to the next one." Lu Meng announced to our army.

"Wait, how are we going to take every base with so few soldiers here? We didn't bring that many because we listened to this inexperienced strategist IN TRAINING and now you're asking us to leave some of the troops behind to occupy?" Zhu Ran protested.

"Here is what's going to happen: there are many officers and soldiers amongst Shu who will be easy to sway onto our side. Remember why Lord Sun Quan enacted the 'Win the Hearts of the People' plan? It was for this very reason. We just need to give a little extra 'effort' to convince them to our side."

"I understand, Lord Lu Meng" he praised. *Good grief…*

"Let us begin."

_~ Seizing Jing Province, The Battle for Fan Castle _

POV of Shang Xiang-

We approached the first tower with great speed. For a mediocre disguise, I decided to wear a little more over my usual attire. I'm stuck with a black hood and face mask that covers the bottom half of my face and stops right where my nose arcs. This is it, Shang Xiang.

I followed up the rear of the group and by the time I got in there, the watch tower was already seized. Incredible. We cleared the base of the remaining soldiers. I didn't realize how easy it was to end a life. This…almost didn't seem real to me.

The group began to head to the second base. I followed right behind. I could see Lu Xun in the front of the pack with Lord Lu Meng. When we got in the second base, Shu Officer Fu Shi Ren was there. He was one of the officers Lu Meng was speaking about. Lu Xun and Lu Meng had him pinned down. I raced up the watch tower to stop any soldiers from lighting it. One was just about to with the torch in his hand. I increased my speed and lunged at him, striking his back with one blow. I was exhausted from running, but was exhilarated all the same.

"It's over. You have no choice, but to join us. If you do, you will maintain your rank in Wu and lead a promising life. Join us." Lu Meng negotiated with Fu Shi Ren.

"This is it, isn't it? But…right now, I guess it's every man for himself. I will join you." The former Shu officer complied.

*One more tower is left. After we take that, Shu will discover us and begin mobilizing for a strong defense.*

"Ouch!" I dropped my left chakram and grabbed the bag of my neck. "What? Why is this hurting? Did I get hit?" No…the bump, it's throbbing and it feels…bigger.

*Snap out of it, Shang Xiang. You need to ignore this pain. So much is at stake right now.*

We began to move again. I felt my fatigue grow more and more as we went on. We reached the third tower and another Shu officer defected onto our side. *Here comes the hard part, Shang Xiang. You can do this.*

_~ The Battle for Fan Castle_

POV of Lu Xun-

*Everything is going according to plan. Guan Yu should be discovering our forces right now.*

"Lord Lu Meng, do you think Wei will continue to battle Guan Yu and choose to accept our temporary assistance?"

He slashed a soldier to the ground and slammed his Rainmaker into the soldier's back. "They would be foolish not to see this through all the way, Lu Xun. Even if they do decide to turn on us at the end, they would be greatly outnumbered due to the casualties of facing General Guan Yu's forces alone."

*He's right, but I can't help but have this strange feeling.* I looked on at Wei's castle in the distance.

"Lu Xun, behind you!" Lu Meng shouted. I turned my head and saw a spear being hurled right towards me. *I can't dodge it!*

Slice!*

*What-what happened? I didn't feel anything.* I opened my eyes to see a figure with a black hood in front of me and in their hands, their weapons…chakrams!?

"He didn't get you, did he?" the familiar voice asked. The soldier who saved me pulled down her hood and mask.

"Shang Xiang,…what are you doing here? Don't tell me you actually stowed away on the ship!" I was angry.

"I've been training all of my life to get this opportunity, Lu Xun. There's nothing I want more than to fight for my kingdom, my family, and...other important people in my life." She looked over her shoulder at me with a slight expression of concern. Her face was a little red, but I looked at her neck and saw a gruesome site. What is that? Is that the bruise she received two days ago? No, it can't be. That looks far worse than an ordinary bruise. It…it looked like a foreign object was infecting her neck. A large dark, purple bump. She caught me staring at her.

"…I don't even know what to say to you right now. You're doing exactly what got you in trouble the other-"

"A thank you would be a brilliant start, Lu Xun." Lord Lu Meng walked over. "Like it or not, she is here and appears to be doing just fine. We need to get ready to push forward and corner Guan Yu."

The three of us looked at each other and nodded.

As our group approached the fourth base, 3 or maybe even 5 Shu officers launched an ambush. We were surrounded, but not to be outdone. The defected Shu officers came to our aid and another brawl commenced. The presence of the former Shu officers confused them and they were no longer sure if they should attack.

"Fu Shi Ren! Why would you betray your kingdom! How could you do this to us and General Guan Yu?!" They pleaded. Fu Shi Ren gave no answer.

"What should we do?! Should we wait for General Guan Yu's orders?!" shouted a Shu soldier.

"No…no, forget it. They have made their choice and now we must defend this place with our lives!"

"You two, take most of our forces and continue the assault!" Lu Meng ordered.

"But sir, what about you?"

"I'll be fine…We can take it from here. I'll handle Guan Yu." He looked at me straight in the eyes.

I bowed my head. "Let's get going!" I raised my sword in the air. Shang Xiang followed my lead by raising her chakram, and then I had the entire force under my command.

As we ran, I felt the dark feeling again. I felt it also at the beginning of the battle, but now it's stronger and more troubling than before. Something can't be right.

Shang Xiang sure is amazing to watch in battle. She really does know what she's doing. She truly becomes one with her weapon. And with the two of us back to back, we're an unstoppable force.

We were able to crush Shu's forces into Fan Castle. It was quiet. I haven't seen Lord Lu Meng yet.

"He'll be all right, Lu Xun. We should be seeing him in no time." Shang Xiang reassured me.

"Right." *Why haven't we seen Wei's forces yet either though?* That also troubled me greatly.

There was an uneasy silence all around us. I tried my best to keep my nerve. I had to. For the men. The clouds in the sky became darker as time went by. It was getting ready to rain. Something kept prodding at my thoughts. As if I kept seeing bad omens all around me.

I couldn't bare it any longer. "Shang Xiang, come with me. We're going into Fan Castle."

The two of us alone went in to search for Lord Lu Meng. I had a very bad feeling.

As we reached the opening, everyone in the castle was annihilated. There were no signs of life. All I saw were scattered bodies of fallen Shu and Wu soldiers, soaking in a pool of mixed blood. I looked at Shang Xiang. Her face was pale and her hands were shaking. I told her to stay put. I began to panic a little and frantically searched for Lord Lu Meng.

I ran into the castle's courtyard. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw two fallen soldiers. One with a great long weapon in his hands. That was General Guan Yu. And the other…it was Lu Meng's weapon, Rainmaker.

"L-…Lord Lu Meng!" I cried. *Oh my God. He is alive still, but barely.*

"Lu…Lu…Xun." He tried with all he could to get his words out.

"My Lord, hang on, we'll get you out of here. We'll get you some help!" I pulled his arm over my neck and tried to lift him up.

"No…" He said with exhaustion. "Lu Xun,…my time is up in this…world." He coughed up blood.

"No, my Lord, you can beat this. Please, don't give up!"

He shook his head. "I have…been fighting this illness…for a long time…I am happy…I was able to see you grow…into…into a brilliant strategist." Tears began to form in both of our eyes.

"Look-look at me, Lu Xun. I have faith in you…" His voice and eyes became more fatigued and dim. "You must live on… and unite this land…under the name…of Wu!" His body went limp on me. His glazed over eyes of a dead man stared blankly into the sky. It began to rain.

My eyes started to hurt. My body could not stop shaking. "Master Lu Meng. Master Lu Meng!"

All that was heard was the sound of rain hitting the ground, hitting the many bodies, and mine.

My mind went blank. I screamed at the top of my lungs.

_~ Inside Fan Castle, The Front Gate_

POV of Shang Xiang-

I heard a desperate cry. It was Lu Xun! I ran as fast as I could and searched for him. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it was going to jump out of my chest. Suddenly a large group of soldiers appeared before me. They were Wei soldiers. They had their weapons pointed right at me.

"What is the meaning of this? We are supposed to be allies right now." I questioned them.

I heard a laugh amongst the crowd of Wei soldiers. It was a familiar laugh. My stomach dropped. *Where have I heard this before?*

The soldiers moved aside to let someone through. It was HIM.

My heart sank and my jaw dropped. My legs were shaking. It felt like I was carrying a ton of weight. I felt like I was going to collapse any second.

"No…"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Princess Sun Shang Xiang, daughter of the Tiger of Jiang Dong. It is a pleasure, my Lady. I am Sima Yi, strategist for the Kingdom of Wei." He bowed. "However, judging by the look on your face, I'll take it that this isn't the first time we have met, no?"

*I can't say anything. My body…it refuses to move!*

"Absolutely astounding. So…where have you seen me before?" He asked me as if he already knew the answer, with a sinister smile.

"I…I…" that's all I could say.

He chuckled at my obvious fear. "Well, we're going to get to know each other a lot better now, won't we? You see, my Lady, with a valuable officer eliminated from Shu now, it takes care of the threat from them. The only obstacle currently is the kingdom of Wu. Now, I have their princess in the palms of my hands. How lucky, how fortunate. It must be the work of fate itself!"

"No…no, what are you talking about?" I was able to find some strength in me. "I am NOT in the palms of ANYONE'S hands. If you think you can kidnap me, I will give you the fight of your miserable life!" I bent my knees a little bit and positioned my chakrams for battle.

"I figured as much, my Lady. That is why I took some precautions."

He raised his hand and slowly began to turn it into a fist. My eyes widened.

I let out a chilling scream and I saw a blinding purple light from behind me again.

"What…what is this?" I went to touch the back of my neck, but the light pushed it back. The pain…it was excruciating. It tore deeper and wider inside me. I could feel the ripping of my insides. The pain began at my neck and slithered its way to the rest of my body.

*I can't give up. I can't!*

I tried to lift my body up as best as I could. I began to run away. I plowed and cut through so many Wei soldiers who tried to block my path.

"Run all you want, little princess. You're mine now."

I ran as fast as I could. The pain from my neck continued to worsen the farther I ran. I looked down at my arms; my veins were incredibly visible. My vision began to fade and my body felt like it was being pushed to the floor. I looked for Lu Xun. *I need help. I need him!* Tears broke from my eyes and streamed down my face.

Soldiers began to slowly close in from all around me. I did my best to keep them off of me.

"Lu Xun!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Lu Xun! Please! Help me!"

I continued to fight off the soldiers. I reached the middle of the castle. I saw Lu Xun several yards away from me holding a body. It was Lord Lu Meng. *Did Wei go after him, too?*

"Lu Xun! Look at me!" I tried to yell, but I was so exhausted from the pain, my cries came out as pitiful weeps that sounded as if someone had a hold of my lungs. A lone Wei soldier ran over and raised his sword to Lu Xun.

I was suddenly filled with great anger.

"NO!" I yelled with all of my might and threw one of my chakrams with the remaining strength I had left. My chakram cut straight threw the Wei soldier before he had a chance to hit Lu Xun. My body couldn't take it anymore. I dropped my other chakram and fell to the ground. I could no longer move.

Soldiers gathered around me and picked me up to take me away. I tried to scream to get his attention. I don't know if he heard me or not. He seemed frozen.

Sima Yi approached me and grabbed my chin with one hand. "Come quietly from now on, and we won't kill the boy. Your choice, my Lady."

Tears continued to fall down my face, and I gave him a nod. I began to feel feint. The soldiers were taking me deeper into darkness. Right before the doors closed, I saw Lu Xun lift his head.

* * *

**Certainly makes up in length for the brief chapter before. Obviously the battle from DW7 was a huge help in writing this part. Hur hur hur. :P**


	5. Parasite

_**Mikan No Hana- Thank you! I hope you're enjoying it so far. :D**_

_**I do not own any of the characters. They belong to KOEI Corporation.**_

* * *

_Early Morning, The Wu Palace, Lu Xun's Room_

POV of Lu Xun-

I opened my eyes to the view of my ceiling. My body felt so stiff. I sat myself up and put my head in one of my hands. I tried to get myself together. I tried to remember everything.

*…Master Lu Meng…* I let out a sigh of grief until I realized,

"…Shang Xiang!"

_~ Thinking Back_

*Lu Xun! Lu Xun, where are you?! She screamed for me.

*No…*

*I remember a soldier getting ready to impale me, but one of her chakrams sliced through him.*

*She let out one more cry and then…nothing* My eyes started to burn and my hands began to shake.

"You needed me…and I wasn't there for you. Even during all of that, you still protected ME…" I brought my legs up to my chest and rested my head on them.

"I feel so ashamed. How could I have failed her? My heart aches…more than usual, too, and I don't know why. What else am I feeling? It's more than just guilt for failing her. It's more than just grief for losing both her and Lord Lu Meng…what is this?"

"…It's love, isn't it?" a soft voice chimed in, which instantly made my face feel flush.

I looked up and saw Lady Da Qiao slowly opening my door. "May I come in?" she asked. I gave her a nod without even looking at her.

She sat on one of the chairs in my room and stared at me, scanning my face.

"What happened that day, Lady Qiao? I can only remember a few things. Is Shang Xiang ok? Is she here? And what of Master Lu Meng?"

She was silent for a moment.

"Lu Xun, Lord Lu Meng has passed on to the afterlife. Apparently he was suffering from a terrible illness for some time and it eventually overtook him."

"…I see." I brought my legs closer together. "And…what of…what about Shang Xiang?"

"Lady Shang Xiang..." her voice cracked. "Lady Shang Xiang…" she had a hard time getting out the words. I braced myself. "Lady Shang Xiang has been taken from us by the kingdom of Wei. We don't even know if she's still alive."

I tried to hide my emotions, but I couldn't. My face was in my hands and I couldn't help, but weep silently. She came over and sat next to me on my bed, patting me on the back.

"We're all grieving right now, especially Lord Sun Quan. Lu Xun, there is going to be a formal ceremony later this afternoon. Sun Quan is going to address the people and inform them of this tragedy."

"This is all my fault." I confessed.

"Don't say that. Wei took advantage of the situation and did this. No one could have seen this coming."

"You don't understand. I just…I just felt like something bad was going to happen. I could feel it in my gut. I knew…"

"Even so, Lu Xun, you, Lu Meng, not even Lord Zhou Yu could have seen this coming."

I didn't say anything back.

"It would be best if you came to the ceremony, Lu Xun."

"I really don't think I would be able to bare it, Lady Qiao."

"No, Lu Xun…it would be very WISE to attend." she said to me with a straight face. She then exited my room. I looked around and saw my weapon leaned up against the head of my bed.

_~ Brief Flashback, The Night Before the Troop Send Off_

*Lu Xun, I wish you great luck in tomorrow's battle. So please take this with you.' Shang Xiang said while handing her locket to me.'

'Shang Xiang, I can't accept this. This is a family heirloom. I shouldn't have it. It's yours.'

She grabbed my hand, put the locket in my palm, and closed my hand around it. 'You will borrow it for now. You have to return it to me, ok?' she encouraged me with a smile.

'Well I don't want to risk losing it-'

'Would you just hush up and accept it!' she punched me in the arm.

'Ow! Jeez, why do you always have to hit someone every time you don't get your way?' I annoyingly responded while rubbing my arm.

'Xun…for me? Please? Just so I know you'll come back safe.' She lowered her head and started kicking a pebble on the ground.

'Oh… Oh, I see…Don't worry. I'll be back. Thank you.' I bowed.

I laid back down and rested my head on my pillow while I gripped her locket tightly. I felt I could do nothing but grieve in solitude. My door suddenly slammed opened.

"Lu Xun! Get up!" Xiao Qiao screeched.

"What? What's going on?" I jumped out of bed.

"Lord Sun Quan has called all of the generals for an emergency meeting."

"Emergency meeting? For what?"

"I'm not completely sure, but definitely something having to do with Shang Xiang." She pushed me from behind, hurrying me out of the room and down the hall.

My mind was still full of questions and I still felt so lost and confused over what happened and now I have to attend a meeting. The hallway was quiet, only filled with the echoes of our footsteps. I let out a long sigh and she looked at me with a quizzical expression.

"You don't think we're going to plunge ourselves into war do you?" I asked. She lowered her head slightly.

"I don't know…" she spoke with sadness. "I honestly don't know what the right thing to do is. Because…" her voice suddenly cracked. "If she's not…here anymore…it's just more senseless fighting…" I kept looking straight ahead. "But what if she IS still alive and we decide not to go to war?…She won't be rescued." She started to cry silently to herself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I began to panic briefly. I never knew what to do when I saw a girl crying.

"No. No, it's all right…you dummy." She said while wiping her eyes. I let out a sigh of relief. We reached the doors to the Great Hall where everyone else was waiting. "Ready?" her face turned serious.

_~ Outside the Wu Palace, That Afternoon, The Ceremony Addressing the People_

"My people, today…we come together due to a terrible loss: the loss of my sister, your princess, Lady Sun Shang Xiang and, war hero and veteran, Strategist Lord Lu Meng. Lord Lu Meng was not only battling for Wu, but was also battling a fatal illness for a long time. He fell on the battle field after defeating Shu's General Guan Yu. He will be rewarded posthumously for his selflessness and his many acts of great valor!"

"…"

"My people, this will be hard to understand. I have been contemplating it for a great deal of time whether or not I should reveal the fate of my beloved sister to you all. But…I feel that if I didn't, it would be an insult to her memory…You see, my sister was taken away to die…by the kingdom of Wei. It was her first and final stand on the battle field. But she will always be remembered as the beautiful warrior who did everything for her family, for Wu, and for her Kingdom."

"…"

"Let us all bow our heads in a moment of silence and pray for their salvation in the afterlife."

"…"

_~ The Wu Palace, The Library_

"You didn't seem to bat even an eye lash at the ceremony, Lu Xun." Ling Tong commented. "Are you that broken down about it that you no longer feel anything?"

"You know full well that that is not the case." I fired back at him.

"Then why are you acting the way you are?" Gan Ning entered the conversation.

_~ Flashback: The Wu Palace, The Great Hall, Earlier in the Day_

"Lu Xun and Xiao Qiao, I am glad you can join us." Sun Quan announced from the head of the table.

I bowed in respect to his majesty and took my seat amongst all of the other Wu officers.

*Why is everyone here? Who am I kidding…obviously to discuss how to counter attack against Wei for revenge for murdering Shang…sigh* I bowed my head a little.

"Now, I know most of you have an idea as to why I have summoned you here on such short notice. However, it is not all what you may be thinking." Sun Quan scanned the faces of his Wu officers.

"Bring him in." he ordered a group of Wu soldiers.

We all looked towards the doors where the soldiers were escorting someone in the room.

It was Wei's infamous General, Zhang Liao. Half of the Wu officers placed their hands on their weapons, ready to unsheathe them.

"Desist, everyone. If anyone so much as touches their weapon, they will be escorted out of this meeting. Do I make myself clear?"

I burned with deep rage. He is from Wei. They all deserve to pay for what they did to Shang Xiang. Ling Tong saw my hands shaking in anger and gave me a stern look to control myself.

"Zhang Liao has come to us on his own accord. He holds very important news that is imperative for us to know." He nodded to Zhang Liao who stood at the opposite end of the table, with all eyes watching him.

"I appreciate you giving me a chance to speak, Lord Sun Quan." He bowed.

"Wei itself is experiencing an infestation like no other-"

"So what!? Now you're asking us for help?! You have some nerve!" he was instantly cut off by Xiao Qiao. Da Qiao quickly reprimanded her and told her to be quiet from now on.

*I don't blame her for reacting the way she did. I felt compelled to say the exact samething.* I crossed my arms and turned my attention back to General Zhang Liao.

"…you have all heard of General Sima Yi, I imagine." He continued. "He's not only our most brilliant strategist, but also one of Lord Cao Cao's most trusted advisors. He is one who seldom gets his hands dirty, but he has a way of concocting the most vicious plans. Lately, he's been very distant from the rest of the army. He was granted his own private force for protection by our lord. Since he feels like he can get away with anything now, he has been conducting many…experiments…" He looked straight at Sun Quan.

"What kind of 'experiments'"

"Dark. He's become more in tune with dark magic." My eyes grew wide and I sat up more.

"We've always known of his ways. What makes this time any different?"

"He is no longer sane, nor, in my opinion, human. To me, he's almost like…a demon." The room fell extremely silent.

"What about these experiments? What do those entail?"

"We see…and feel this…dark aura or feeling coming from his living quarters."

*What? 'Dark presence? Like what I have been feeling all this time?*

"We have had a decline in lower ranking soldiers because he has been taking them and, we think, using them for his experiments. In other words, they go in, but they don't come back out."

The room was silent. Everyone was appalled and yet, intrigued by what their ears were hearing.

"I had hired a mole to retrieve as much information as possible from these experiments. He came back and told me everything he knew, but I did not see him the following day..." he took a second to collect himself and ready himself for what he was about to say. He took a deep breath.

"He is taking his dark magic and packing it into tiny shards. These shards are then placed into containers. The containers are human hosts. The shards…they're like…they're like parasites infecting a living thing."

"That's madness…" which slipped from my mouth.

"What do the shards do to the host then?"

"If the person is weak, the shard will instantly kill them. However, if the person withstands the shard's initial attack, the shard will begin to slowly take hold of their body. This turns the person into a personal puppet for Sima Yi, who is the controller and source of the dark magic."

"That's….that's horrible…disgusting." Lian Shi responded with fright.

Sun Quan had his hands crossed and raised them in front of him. He leaned his head against his hands, in deep thought.

"So…Zhang Liao…the reason you're telling me this…please say it."

*No, this can't be…Shang Xiang is…*

"Lord Sun Quan, Lady Sun Shang Xiang is alive, but she has been infected with the shard…I'm sorry."

SLAM!* Sun Quan had slammed his fists on the table. Lian Shi and Xiao Qiao began to weep silently.

*She's alive.* I felt some tears form in my eyes. *Ahh! Cut it out.*

The room was silent.

"My Lord, what shall we do?" Ling Tong finally broke the silence.

Sun Quan breathed heavily. "We're…we're going after Wei."

"Are you sure? This will not be an easy thing now that Shu is no longer a close ally-"

"No, this time will be different." He raised his head and looked at his guards. "Escort Zhang Liao safely out of the kingdom, but Zhang Liao!" Zhang Liao faced the Wu Emperor. "Do I have your word that you're going to stay out of our way?"

"As long as you only go after Sima Yi and do not harm my lord, I will not be a problem. Neither will some other Wei officers."

"All right. Thank you for your help." Sun Quan bowed to him. Zhang Liao bowed back and was escorted out of the room.

"Ling Tong, Gan Ning, and Lu Xun, I need to speak with you three privately after the ceremony," requested the emperor.

"We're still holding the ceremony even though we found out that Shang Xiang is still alive?" asked Gan Ning

"Yes, if there are ANY Wei spies out there, we must have them convinced that we think Shang Xiang is dead. That way we can perform as swift an operation as possible."

_~ The Wu Palace, Sun Quan's Quarters_

"Thank you three for coming." Sun Quan said to us.

We bowed to him at once and took our seats.

"As you know, I have decided that we are going to rescue my sister Shang Xiang. However, our entire army will not be put into this."

"Wait a minute, why is that? We need as much help as possible if we are going to storm in and rescue her!" Ling Tong added.

"No, we cannot do that. We're not looking to start a war with Wei. We're going to rescue Shang Xiang and that is it."

"If we attack Wei with a full army, then they have one hostage. We have to get Shang Xiang back first. We should send in a rag-tag team." I concluded Sun Quan's plan.

"All right, that makes sense….lover boy." Gan Ning obnoxiously stated. I felt blood rush to my face and then gave him a glare.

"We NEED to leave as soon as we can." I requested. "It takes more than just a week to travel to Wei's capital. Also…I've felt a dark feeling ever since Shang Xiang and I went out on our patrol. She got hit with something. We thought it was a rock, but she said it felt far more piercing than that. She also hinted at a great pain in her neck. And…when we were on the battle field and we united,…I saw her neck…it looked…like something was growing under her skin. It was dark purple." I had to take a deep breath and collect myself. "I can now deduce that every time I was around her, the dark presence filled the air." I looked at Sun Quan. He looked tormented. "Lord Sun Quan, I ask you to give me permission to be a part of this mission."

"You are doing a great thing, Lu Xun. You have my deepest thanks. Ling Tong, Gan Ning, please go with him.

"Of course! I'm not going to let Lu Xun take all the glory of saving the princess." Gan Ning jokingly replied.

"The three of you, I cannot express how much I appreciate this. I am truly in your debt." Sun Quan bowed to us. "You'll leave tonight, then. If what Zhang Liao said is true, we need to get to Shang Xiang as fast as we can." He decided.

*Shang Xiang, we're coming for you.*

* * *

**A lot of back forth from present to flashbacks, I know. I tried to make it not confusing, but if it's driving you nuts, tell me. :)**

**Read and review, pretty please. :D**


	6. Prisoner

**I do not own any of the characters. They belong to KOEI Corporation.**

* * *

_~ The Wei Palace, Prison_

POV of Shang Xiang-

*The ceiling of…a cell?* I looked around to find myself sitting on a cold, hard floor. There were metal bars keeping me in my small space. I was wearing a dirty, white robe. My regular clothes were sprawled out on the floor.

*Where am I? What is this-* "OUCH!"

*My neck!* I took a deep breath.

"Ugh…its hurts." My eyes were squeezed so tightly together because of the pain.

*I have to try and get out of here!* My prison cell wasn't closed all of the way. *That doesn't make sense. Surely they can't be THAT foolish as to leave the cell open…or maybe I'm the one who is meant to be made a fool. Should I accept this invitation to flee? My chances are so slim.* After several moments of thought, I decided the opportunity may be my last chance at life. I had to take it.

I picked up my regular clothes and held them in my arms. I poked my head out of my cell and looked around. It was so dark. However, I did not hear any hint of life; just the drops of water keeping a beat in the prison. I shakily stumbled out of my cell and cautiously approached the prison door. That walk felt like an eternity. It felt like the hall was stretching and getting longer with every step I took. I finally reached the door to the rest of the building.

I got on my knees and pressed my cheek to the cold floor, in an attempt to see under the door. Again, I heard nothing, as well as saw nothing. I had trouble lifting myself up once more. I tried to stay driven. If I paid attention to my body's great fatigue, then I'd only slow myself down even more. I cracked the door open and peaked again. Still, nothing. I opened it slowly, trying my best to not make it creak. I felt sweat leaking down my face. I cautiously poked my head out and looked around. I wasn't just held in a regular prison. It was a castle's prison.

The hallway was dark, but not nearly as bad as the prison. There were many window openings and open balconies that allowed moonlight to shine through. In addition, small lanterns were dimly lit on the walls of the hallways. I began to quietly walk down the hall. I made many turns in the castle halls, giving my best to try and find an exit. My heart beat began to pick up and the sweat running down my body progressively worsened.

I suddenly heard the abrupt, frightening clangs of the alarm. *No…come on, Shang Xiang, you MUST get out!* My heart sank and I began to panic. I picked up my slow speed and aimlessly searched for the exit. With every turn I took, my hope slowly diminished. I began to hyperventilate and my sweating picked up profusely. The mallets hitting against the alarm plate pounded my efforts down into the ground like a stake.

Suddenly, I saw light from around the corner, with a swarm of footsteps approaching with it. I stopped in my tracks. The light and footsteps and grew brighter and louder as it came closer to the corner. I began to back up. I turned around to go back in the other direction, but there was also another light approaching from that hallway. I saw the guards carrying torches making their way towards me. My knees shook and I collapsed to the ground. I knew then that I will remain here.

I was placed back in my cell; door secured tightly this time. I could only think about what happens next. *What am I to do now? Sit here and wait to die? Or hope against hope that my family will somehow rescue me.*

I suddenly heard a door open and close. Footsteps began walking down the hallway towards my cell.

It was HIM. Sima Yi…

"Oh, so I heard you're awake." He mockingly observed. "You know, after over a week of 'beauty sleep,' princess, I would think that you would look gorgeous, but…my word, you look absolutely hideous."

I gritted my teeth in anger and tried to get on my feet.

"Oh no, I am not finished talking yet. Maybe you should sit…down." His hand motioned towards the floor, and simultaneously my body slammed against the cold ground.

*My body! I can't control my own body!*

"What do you think? It's still in the workings, but I am very proud to say that you have been able to handle the shard longer than any other of my test subjects."

"Shard?" I was able to force out, while lifting myself from the ground.

"Yes." He said with pride. "You know the infamous strategist Zhuge Liang, correct?"

"Of course, I do."

"Excellent…" He pushed his hand outward from his chest. My back slammed against the wall behind me, as did my head. The air was knocked out of me. I slid back down to the ground while he continued to explain.

"One could say he and I are almost polar opposites. At least, that is what I hear lately. You know how when we all engage in battle, we can briefly control some elements? You being from Wu, I can guess that you control fire. Wei has ice and Shu has nature or wind. Well, he has control of a rare element: light. He uses it while he fights. Have you noticed this?"

Trying to catch my breath, "I…haven't seen, but…I have heard many stories." The more questions he asked, the colder his face became.

"Precisely…hmph. There really is more to you than your mere social standing. Now tell me, what is the opposite of light, princess?"

I was afraid to answer. I didn't want to this. I didn't want to be here. He looked at me and narrowed his brow. Again, he put his hand out for me to see and proceeded to slowly close his hand into a fist. The purple light from behind me returned. *No. Not the light.*

I let out a piercing scream. The veins in my body protruded to the very surface of my skin. The tearing spread at a faster rate this time. I could feel it all over me, covering every part of my body. My head was boiling, my stomach felt like it was being stabbed, and my eyes felt torn up.

*I don't know if I can handle anymore.*

"Answer me, Sun Shang Xiang, and I will stop." He bribed.

"D-dark?! Shadow?!" I burst out from screaming.

He opened up his fist quickly and the pain slowly faded away.

"Yes. Very good. I can control dark, or what most call, shadow magic. And inside the shard that is inside you, is a condensed amount of my raw power."

My eyes widened in disbelief.

"With this, I can make the ultimate soldier who will do anything I say."

*Then why am I still myself?*

He snickered at me. "Remember that helpless feeling you had just seconds ago? How you 'didn't think you could handle anymore'? That was your will slowly breaking. And Shang Xiang, once I do that, you will no longer have control of your body. You will become the puppet and I will be the one pulling the strings." He paused for a few seconds. "I knew it was a good plan to leave your cell open. Once again, I cease to amaze myself." My head jerked up to look at him. "You gave yourself false hope and when we brought you back, we simply tore that hope down to rubble."

I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face as I listened. Something as simple as crying stung from the many cuts on my eyes due the dark man's torture.

"You brought this all on yourself. You made the choice to go on that patrol. You made the choice to go into battle. You made the choice to give up your freedom in exchange for the safety of that strategist boy. You made the choice to leave your cell…Everything you have done has brought you closer to me…And with every passing second, your will is closer to shattering."

I collapsed into a fetal position and erupted in sadness.

"Any day, now." He left me there in my dark, cold cell, helpless as ever.

*Is this it? Is this how it's going to end? Let some dark maniac take control while you watch yourself do their bidding? What if he goes after your family and friends? No…this can't be. Why else would he target me?! This is how he is going to try to take over Wu!* I shivered with such anger and slammed my fist to the ground.

I tried to sit myself up more upright. I was freezing. I looked down and noticed that I was sitting in a small warm puddle of my own blood. I examined my body to try and find the worst wound. The most serious one was the large gash on the back of my head. I ripped off some of the robe I wore and found my headband that was discarded on the floor. I tried to press the ripped cloth as tight as I could to my head and then I tied it securely with my headband.

The only light I had was the moon's light that shined through my small window. I tried to stand up. My legs were so weak. It felt like I hadn't walked in so long. I tried to grab any crevice of the wall that I could to help me up. Now that I was able to stand again, I took a step and it appears walking wasn't too much of a problem, but I still needed the wall to help keep me balanced.

I walked over to my bed. *Not much of a bed, really. Just a big block with a thin blanket on it.*

*He took my chakrams away…jerk-bag…* "Well, I guess I don't necessarily NEED my weapons to practice my form and technique." I began to practice in the dark. It's not the first time I've done that without my weapons. However, it has been awhile since I pretended to slice the air with imaginary weapons. My body is so exhausted. It can't keep up or go at the pace I need it to. I sighed in anger. "This should not be this hard…stupid dark man…stupid Sima Yi." Adding fuel to my inner fire always helped motivate me. It was my way of pushing myself. I started to practice again. My body was sweating and aching from exhaustion, as well as from the new bruises I just received. I didn't care. "I may not be at home, but that's no excuse for getting sloppy." Suddenly, I felt a deep shiver make its way up my back and I collapsed to the floor. I felt so cold. Maybe that's my body's way of telling me, 'I mean business! No more working!'

"Sigh* I th-thought m-moving around would w-warm me up." I stood up and sat on the block 'bed.' I was shivering so much, the chattering from my teeth had its own echo throughout the cells.

Without warning, the prison door opened again. The light was blinding. My body began to shake out of fear on its own. Almost like it, alone, was dreading the pain again. However, it was someone else this time.

"Hello, princess of Wu. My name is Xiahou Dun. I am a General for Lord Cao Cao. Don't be afraid. I come with good news for you."

I shook my head at him, fearing another "test against my will."

"I understand your inability to trust right now, but my news truly is good." He had such gentle eyes.

I slowly made my way over to him from the back of the cell. My legs felt heavy. He watched me with such pity. When I reached the other side of the cell, I held onto the bars for support and I looked up at him. He was tall and very built. He then lifted his hand and reached out to me. I couldn't help, but cringe, fearing the meaning behind "the hand."

He then patted my head gently. I opened my eyes and looked at him again. He shook his head in disappointment.

"You poor thing. You've only been here for barely two weeks and you've already been through so much. Your body is in a great deal of pain, isn't it?"

I nodded my head.

He knelt down slightly so he was at my eye level. I stared at his eye patch briefly. He took my cold, shaking hands into his and cupped over mine to warm them up. He looked me in the eye and spoke again.

"That Sima Yi…is a real demon. What he is doing is a crime against nature. I am here to beg you to try and hold on as long as you can, princess. You have people looking out for you here on the inside."

I must have had a look of disbelief on my face. He held my hands tighter.

"Sun Shang Xiang, your family of Wu is on their way to take you back home."

My face did not change one bit.

"Did you hear me, Shang Xiang? You will get to go home soon with your loved ones."

He then reached over and wiped a tear that was apparently falling down my face.

*I feel…relieved.*

"Are you all right?" he asked.

I had tears streaming down my face, but I was smiling. I wiped them away. "Yes. I am…happy. Thank you…so much, s-sir." I gave a big smile. I couldn't believe it. This is a dream come true, it felt like.

"You have really warmed m-my heart, s-sir." I tried to speak through my shivers.

"As you have warmed mine. You are a strong young lady. Hold on as best as you can. I must be on my way." He began to get up. I grabbed his sleeve.

With begging eyes looking up at him, "P-please d-d-don't leave. I-I don't w-want HIM t-to come back." I begged him.

"I'm so sorry, but I cannot stay. I will do my best to keep him away from here, but he holds a higher rank than I do. I can only do so much. Forgive me." His sleeve slid out from my grip as he walked away. I watched him through the prison bars until the door closed all of the way. I stared at the closed door for a few minutes and then slowly slinked to the back of my cell and curled up in a ball in the corner. The moon light shined directly on me. For now, the moon was my only companion.

I looked up with tired, but hopeful eyes.

"Moon, I don't know if I'm going to make it. So can you please tell Lu Xun something for me?"


	7. Memory Embers

**I hope everyone is enjoying it so far. Read, enjoy, and review, please. :D**

**I do not own any of the characters. They are owned by KOEI Corporation.**

* * *

~ _Eastern Wei Territory, Northern He Fei, Forest_

POV of Lu Xun-

I stared up at the moon in the middle of the night. We had to stop, make camp, fire, and get some rest. I sat by the camp fire, tapping my foot anxiously. *Being so close to Shang Xiang and yet still so far, I feel very restless.* Be that as it may, I volunteered first to keep watch.

I brought her locket with me. It's the only thing I have left of her from that day. I held it in front of me and stared at it intensely.

"It's been almost two weeks since you were taken from us. I don't even know if you're still alive anymore…but…still, I want you to know that…that…I really care about you. I am NOT going to give up on you just like you've never given up on me."

Staring into the fire, I began to think back…to when I first met Shang Xiang.

_~ Flashback_

Lu Xun- Age 11. Shang Xiang- Age 12.

My village that I grew up in was exterminated by the religious, rebellious group, The Yellow Turbans. They were known for raiding many villages back then. They would try to convert as many people as they could…and the ones who refused were destroyed and burned down along with the village.

The Han was an allied group of the kingdoms' leaders coming together. They joined together to wipe out the Yellow Turbans. Sun Jian, Shang Xiang's father, was the leader of Wu at the time. He found me wondering aimlessly through the forests after my home was burnt down. He wasn't sure what to do with me, but he brought me back to the Wu Palace.

They decided to enroll me in their youth martial arts class. I was surrounded by a bunch of other boys who gave me condescending looks. They knew I wasn't really from around here. Plus, my family name alone had truly sullied any hopes of future friendships. The instructor ordered us to pair up for sparring. I reached out to many of the other boys, but they either ignored me as if I wasn't even there, or flat out told me 'no' in an annoyed hiss. Being the odd one out, I was forced to form a group of three with two others. We had to take turns. When it was my turn, neither of the other two sat out. Instead, they both decided to take me on at the same time. Since I was forced to practice with a real sword as a little kid, keeping those two off with a wooden sword wasn't so difficult at first, but they eventually broke me due to fatigue.

I lied there on the ground taking a beating. I felt hopeless. If anything, I invited it. I had no place in this new world I was thrown into. I had no purpose. Suddenly, I saw Sun Jian walking in with a kid from across the field. It was another little boy with a red headband. As Sun Jian was talking to the instructor, the boy looked over and saw me on the ground. Without hesitation, he ran over to me.

"Stop!" the boy yelled. His voice sounded strange. He picked up my sword and smacked the two beating me. He attacked with a certain grace. He then shooed them away. I looked up and realized right then and there that it wasn't a boy. It was a girl. It was Shang Xiang. She fell down on her knees next to me and began to panic.

"Are you ok?! Are you ok?! You're not dead, are you? If you're dead, say so, please!" that was my first taste of how she has a knack of occasionally blowing things out of proportion. It was also my first glimpse of her emerald eyes. I felt so entranced by her. Apparently it was also her first day in this class, too. With the class evened out in numbers now, she became my sparring partner from that day on. And with each passing day, our bond continued to grow. Once she saved me that day, I felt like I had a purpose. I felt like I found where I belonged.

_~ 2 years later_

Lu Xun- Age 13. Shang Xiang- Age 14.

"You're a real spaz; you know that, Lu Xun?"

"Am not! I can't help it if I didn't see a dip in the ground. It was YOUR idea to take a 'stroll' through the woods, too, Shang Xiang."

"So what? It's good to go out and get some fresh air instead of being cooped up in the library all the time. I understand how reading is good, but so is taking a break every once in a while. Now get up."

"Your methods to getting me out of the library were cruel, Shang Xiang." I complained while brushing the dirt off my arms. "Coaxing me into one of your STUPID pranks. Now here we are hiding in the woods from Gan Ning, hoping he doesn't kill us."

"Hey, you love the pranks, too. Here's how I know, because if you didn't, you could have easily said 'no.'" She walked over to me, putting her face inches from mine. "And…you didn't." She grinned slyly, taking my hat off of my head and putting it on her own. My face blushed from how close she was and I took a step back.

"Still…you're quite the manipulator. You knew that he was going to react that way and you did all of that just so I could 'go on a walk with you.' Was it worth it?" I threw my hands up in the air in slight frustration. She looked away for a moment and then looked at me straight in the eyes.

"Very much." She replied with a small smile, tipping my hat to me on her head.

_~ End Flashback_

I turned my attention towards the camp fire. I then noticed Lord Ling Tong waking up. He turned his attention towards me.

"Hey, I'll take over for you now."

"I'm not tired though, sir." I replied as I stared at the fire.

"Well, get tired. If we're going to try and get to the castle by tomorrow, you need as much energy as you can get. We all need to be on top of our game."

I let out a long sigh and nodded. I went inside the small tent and lied down. *This is going to be rough.*


	8. Broken Down

**WOOZ! I know, I had to do a flashy-back to the past to when they met. It's a given. :P**

**I do not own any of the characters. They are owned by KOEI Corporation.**

* * *

POV of Shang Xiang-

I awoke to the sound of chains clanging against each other. Once I regained more consciousness, I noticed I was being dragged down a hallway by two guards. My robe felt bigger…almost like they switched me into a grown man's robe.

"Aww, the wittle girwl is awake now," one of the guards' obnoxious voice taunted.

I felt so out of it. I didn't show any sign of that remark bothering me.

"You can't be serious…you actually did it?" a shocked voice broke out.

"Don't you understand? Her mental state, even though it is still young, was still too strong to be broken down. I needed to weaken it by any means necessary. Make it…younger. I did what I had to do, Xiahou Dun."

*Xiahou Dun?* I tried to lift my head up, but I couldn't. It was as if something was holding my head down.

"So…she won't have any memory of her home? Of anything before you brought her here? Will she at least know her name?"

"No. No. and yes, she will at least know her name. She will know only a fraction of her identity. Anything to do with her past, however, will be gone. Once her will breaks, this chain of 'side effects' will occur." He then proceeded to laugh. "How else am I going to keep a child quiet? I can't have it going on about missing mommy and daddy" He hissed.

"Sima Yi, this is madness. I'm informing Lord Cao Cao of this right away."

"And if you make any hint of this to Cao Cao, I will have you court-martialed and imprisoned for treason against our lord,…General." He threatened. "Remember your place when you're up against me."

I heard nothing from Xiahou Dun in response to this threat.

"We have their princess. I am not going to waste any more time. Surely, Wu will be at our doorstep in a matter of days for revenge. This opportunity cannot slip away. It's all or nothing right now."

"So…that's why you used your cursed magic to…"

"Yes." He said with a laugh. "But don't worry. She will only remain in that state as long as the darkness resides in her. The same goes for her memory."

"You've lost your mind, Sima Yi…" he said with great disappointment.

"Even if I have, at least I get results." He said coldly. "Guards, throw her in her cell… Make sure she has her needs met...throw some water and scraps in her cell. The time to turn the tables will be here shortly."

*I must have passed out. How long was I unconscious?* I slowly tried to get on my feet. I looked around. *They must have placed me in a new cell. Its bigger.* The sun was faintly shining through my window; it was about sunset. I checked the wound on my head. *Yeah, it's a little swollen now.* I noticed a large bowl of water they left me. *…well, that's…nice…?*

*I need to try to clean the wound as best as I can.* I broke off a new patch of cloth from my robe and readied myself to remove the old bloody one from my head. My head band fell on my lap. It was painful removing the cloth. The dry blood had it pasted to the wound. I had to either slowly peel if off or rip it…*get it over with, Shang Xiang.* I tightly closed my eyes.

I ripped it off really quickly, and normally I can hold in a cry when dealing with medium intense pain like this, but I didn't. I screamed, but only a very short breath of a scream.

A tear formed in my eye, but I held it in. I then took the new cloth and dipped it in the water. I quickly pressed it against the now bloody wound. I dabbed it very gently, but applied enough pressure.

As I was doing that, I looked down at the bowl of water. The reflection was still blurry from all the ripples. I wanted to see myself. I wanted to see how bad I looked. Or even to see if I looked like the same person after all of the beatings. The ripples finally set. I began to lean forward, but I was timid. I wanted to see myself, but at the same time…I didn't. Out of fear, I left the bowl alone for a while and continued pressing the cloth against my head. I began to think…I wanted to look pretty for myself. I giggled to myself at my impeccable timing. *If my family and friends could see me now. I can't believe it. The first time I truly care about being pretty is in this situation, of all times.* I ripped off another piece of cloth and began washing my face. I had a lot of dirt and spots of dry blood. I attempted to fix my hair to the best of my ability; trying to imagine what it looks like. I moved towards the bowl with a little more confidence and excitement and put my hands over my eyes and angled my head over the bowl. *1, 2, 3.* Finally, I removed my hands, with a smile.

I finally saw my reflection. I saw a little girl; battered, bruised, unkempt, and lost.

"So this is what I have been reduced to…in such a short amount of time, I broke that quickly, didn't I?" I admitted.

I looked down at my short legs and then my arms and proceeded to scan every part of me that I could. After, I raised my head and looked straight up at the ceiling.

It was quiet. All I could hear was the sound of my own breaths growing heavier and faster, the rattles of my chains, and the trickles of water echoing in the prison. I then finally brought my hands up to my face. My hands began to shake and then the rest of my body began to as well.

"No one…n-n-no one is...c-c-coming." I began to hyperventilate and tears swelled in my eyes. Suddenly, I felt overpowered by something. There was no hope. I could do no more.

"Sun Shang Xiang, you lost." I felt another voice mixed with my own speaking from my mouth. "You are WEAK."

There, I felt like I was falling into a pit of nothingness. Nothing, but darkness was all around me. I looked down at myself again, my essence. It felt like I was now just floating. I looked like my normal self, in my normal clothes, but still a little girl, however, my veins were boldly visible at the surface of my skin, all over my body. I then looked around through the pitch black, trying to gain a sense of where I was. A set of visions suddenly flashed before my eyes; visions of people who look familiar. A familiar older man dressed in red and holding a sword, then two younger men: one holding tonfas, the other holding another sword, a woman with a crossbow, a scary looking pirate, a man with nunchucks, two pretty girls with fans, a tall man with a scar over his left eye wielding a long sword, a man holding a large halberd, and finally, a young man with two swords who wore a hat and held a gentle, smiling expression on his face. The visions then shattered like glass in front of me. For reasons I no longer knew, my face was wet from tears.

I suddenly felt sharp pains all over. Like I was being ripped away from something I was attached to. My piercing scream echoed through the darkness.

I opened my eyes.

I was back in the cell, lying up against the back wall. There were two figures in front of me. My vision was very blurry.

"The…d-…dark man?" I was barely able to whimper out. He laughed at me. The other person didn't say anything. I couldn't make out who it was.

"That's quite a dead expression on your face, Shang Xiang. You should really look more lively and presentable." He mocked very loudly. My eyes shot wide open.

*That other person is…me?*

"Very good, Shang Xiang." Sima Yi applauded me. "You see, your will was so strong even at a girl your age. So for the first time, I had to take extreme measures." He explained with great pride in his voice. I stared and examined my double. She was my correct age, 18, and she held no expression on her face. Her eyes…they were white…like she was possessed.

"After keeping you unconscious for several hours, I was able to take hold of the raw darkness inside your shard and use it to reduce you AND your will to that of a mere child. I could not bend your will like I had planned, so I had to do the next best thing! Separate your very essence from your body by shattering the very thing that keeps those two things together: your sanity." I tried to look around the room. I was so dizzy, so disoriented, so bewildered.

"To be honest, for a first time effort at me attempting something like that, it turned out really well." He snickered to himself. "And as an extra side effect, the shard is so deep that it's slowly corrupting your essence as we speak. You will begin to fade into nothingness over time."

I felt so helpless.

*Reduced to the frame of my childish self and covered in my own blood yet again, while my body turns into a puppet.*

"I only have one question for you." He grew a grin as I looked up at him again. "Who is Sun Jian…and Lu Xun?"

* * *

**Read, enjoy, and review! Please. :)**


	9. Assault

**I do not own any of the characters. They are owned by KOEI Corporation.**

* * *

_~ Wei Capital City, Town's Front Gate, Night Time_

POV of Lu Xun-

"All right, Gan Ning, you will try to keep all of the attention on you when we go in. Make yourself look as threatening as possible. Create as much destruction as you can. You're very good at all of that, so do your absolute best. We need this to look like some random, dangerous, sadistic, crazy guy waltzed in feeling confident enough to take on the world." I instructed.

"So…act like the way I do when I get drunk?"

"Exactly."

"Haha! Got it!" He readied his weapon.

"Ling Tong, you and I will slip inside the palace, while Wei's security forces will be focused on Gan Ning. We need to be quick and stealthy. Both of you, only take out an enemy if it is absolutely essential to continue moving forward."

"We're ready, Lu Xun." He nodded to me.

I looked on at the city and could see the palace in the distance. I took a deep breath. *Here we go.*

_~ Assault on the Wei Palace, Night Time_

"RAHH! Aiiiiiiiiiiii!" Gan Ning charged into the city and started smashing things up: fruit stands, rickshaws, etc.

"He is quite brilliant." Ling Tong commented while we easily made it to the front gate of the palace. "The guards are still here. We need him to do something more drastic."

Luckily for us, Gan Ning flew by and picked up on what was going on. He quickly turned around and charged at one of the guards chasing him and sliced his chest open. The guards in front of the palace all ran over to assist the city guards. Civilians began to scream in fear.

We ran into the palace with our weapons in hand. Thankfully, the plan is working so well that many of the guards went to try and detain Gan Ning. One man came strolling down the hall and saw us. We turned and pinned him to the wall.

"Where is the Wu princess being held?" Ling Tong interrogated.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about. I really don't!" he pleaded.

"Don't play games with us!" Ling Tong pushed.

"I swear, I really haven't a clue what you're talking about. Please!" the man began to sob.

Ling Tong and I looked at each other in confusion.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't a couple of infamous officers of Wu." A voice from the shadows announced. We released the man, who then ran away.

"Who are you?!" Ling Tong demanded.

"I…am Sima Yi." He coldly responded.

I was filled with great rage in an instant. And before I knew it, I was across the room and had my blades up against his throat.

"Lu Xun, wait!" Ling Tong shouted at me.

"How interesting." He calmly said, obviously unmoved by my sudden assault. "You must be Lu Xun, the young strategist of Wu. I hear you are quite the child prodigy. You know, you and I should really sit down and have some tea togeth-"

"Shut up!" I cut him off. "Where. Is. Shang Xiang?"

"Who?" he toyed around. I pressed my blade harder against his throat. He began to bleed. "I don't know, really. Hmmm. Well, where do you think she is, Sun Shang Xiang?"

My eyes widened and slowly looked to my right. I saw a chakram being hurled right at me. I was able to jump back, out of its trajectory, but it grazed my cheek.

I had leapt all the way back by Ling Tong and landed in a crouch. I raised my head and saw Shang Xiang, but...something was wrong. My heart instantly sank.

She walked over and picked up her chakram that she had thrown and then walked over in front of Sima Yi. She lifted her head, and I saw her face. Her eyes…they were white and wide open. They were no longer the emerald eyes that greeted me when I first came to Wu. Her veins pushed to the surface of her skin on her face. She stared in my direction, but not at me. It was a 1,000 yard stare that she held as well as a blank expression. Her mouth was slightly open. She was no longer herself.

She then bent her legs a little, and went into her battle stance.

"Shang Xiang! Wake up! Don't you know who I am?!" I shouted at her. She said nothing.

"Princess, do you not remember who you are or where you came from?!" Ling Tong gave it a shot.

*Her face isn't even changing. This can't be…*

With great speed, she lunged at me. *She's fast.* I was able to put my swords up in time to block her attack. That put us in a deadlock.

I tried to snap her out of it again. "Shang Xiang! Look at yourself! You've become his personal body guard! His personal slave!" She then took a quick step backwards, jumped, flipped over me, and then lunged at me again with greater force. Her chakrams slammed into my swords so hard that I had to take several steps backwards. I examined her face that stared at me with the same blank expression. She had so many cuts, bruises, and wounds. *I can't believe what I'm seeing.*

"Get a grip, Shang Xiang!" I pushed my swords against the chakrams, crouched down quickly, and kicked her legs out from under her. She fell flat on her back. I made a dash for Sima Yi.

"Die!" I yelled at him. He watched me approach with his hands behind his back. As soon as I was about to cut him down, I was hit in the back.

I slowed down to a stop and slowly turned around. Shang Xiang had her chakram lodged slightly in my back. She quickly slid it out and let me fall to my knees.

"Finish him." Sima Yi ordered. She raised her second chakram up in the air.

*Shang Xiang…I'm sorry.* I closed my eyes.

CLASH!* I opened my eyes and saw Ling Tong in front of me, blocking Shang Xiang's weapon with his nunchucks. "Lu Xun, now!" he ordered. I quickly sprang onto my feet and punched her in the gut.

She made a loud grunt from getting the wind knocked out of her, and stumbled backwards. I flung myself behind her and slammed her shoulders to the ground, so she was on her back. We then pinned her arms and legs to the floor, and pried her weapons out of her hands. She struggled, but we were able to keep her down.

I looked up at Sima Yi in anger and exhaustion. He began to laugh.

"There is absolutely NOTHING like watching a futile battle." He clapped for us. "So what are you going to do now, young strategist? If you get up and release her, she will just kill you and your friend…However, I will give you SOME way out." He put his hand under his chin and held a sinister smirk.

"If you kill her, she will no longer have to suffer anymore and neither will you." The Wei strategist stated.

I stared at him in disbelief. I then looked at Ling Tong, hoping against hope that he would know what to do. He looked just as tormented as I felt.

"She is in my grip forever. The person you know as Sun Shang Xiang no longer exists. That THING you have pinned down…is just a shell of what she once was. SHE is gone…forever."

*I…I don't know.* My arms began to shake. I looked straight down at her emotionless, blank face. Her white eyes stared right back at me. I looked into them, praying that she would hear me. My eyes began to throb and burn.

*Shang Xiang…I've failed you…I…I did a bad thing…Please…what should I do?!*

I looked up and noticed the moon shining on me through an open balcony. Suddenly, I heard a voice.

*"Moon…"* a familiar, soft voice echoed through me.

*Is it…?*

*"I don't know if I'm going to make it. So can you tell Lu Xun something for me?"*

*…*

* Her voice cracked and broke into sobs. "I want him to know how sorry I am…for everything I have done. He is truly the best friend I have ever had…and I would be so lost without him…I'm holding on for him and my family…but…I have proven to everyone how weak I really am. His memory that I hold dear in my heart…has kept me going…it is all I need…And…"*

*…*

*"And if anything were to happen to me, he MUST…"*

"Live through." Her pinned down body spoke those two words to me emotionlessly.

I looked at her in the eyes again. A tear fell on her cheek.

I stepped on her right arm, so I could use my hand. I took one of my swords, lifted her chin up to expose her neck, and I placed my blade against her throat.

"Oh? So you've decided to kill her then?" Sima Yi pointed out in amusement.

"Lu Xun…are you sure you want to do this?" Ling Tong asked with concern.

My face turned just as blank as hers. With just a flick of my wrist, I was going to end it here.

"I…I …" I turned my wrist to sink my sword in her neck…

"STOP!" a voice commanded. A man ran over to me and kicked my sword out of my hand.

Seeing an opportunity to escape, Shang Xiang kicked Ling Tong in the face and leapt out of our grasp, over to Sima Yi.

The man who interfered was General Xiahou Dun of Wei and right behind him was General Zhang Liao.

Irritated, Ling Tong got up and quickly walked over to Zhang Liao with his finger pointing, "You! You said you were going to stay out of our way!"

"I did. But that doesn't mean I was going to watch you make the biggest mistake of your lives."

"B-…biggest mistake?" I questioned with a shaking voice from shock. "I…I thought I was about to do the right thing. I thought I was going to let Shang Xiang be free from this monster!"

"Shang Xiang is still alive in this palace." Xiahou Dun sternly told me. We stared at him, unsure how to process that information after what could have happened.

"So wait, we were being careful to that THING for no reason?" Ling Tong complained.

"No, that 'thing' is Shang Xiang's body. However, SHE was ripped away from it."

"What?" I was so confused

"Lu Xun, go to the prison. I'll take you there." Xiahou Dun advised.

"Amusing. IMMENSLY amusing indeed. You two traitors have a knack of ruining everything." Sima Yi interfered.

Zhang Liao stepped forward. "Sima Yi, we're arresting you for crimes against the Wei kingdom and humanity itself!" he announced.

"Hmm…right. I would love to see you try, General, but wait, before you do that, can I get a repeat of the emotional Wu strategist about to kill the woman he cares so much about for little to no reason?"

"You sadistic-!" I picked up my swords and was ready to charge across the room, but Ling Tong grabbed my shoulder.

"Lu Xun, he is just bating you! Now go with Xiahou Dun to the prison! We'll take care of this situation."

I looked at him and then back at Sima Yi. I was so angry that I almost couldn't think straight. I looked down at the ground and nodded.

"Don't die,…both of you." I told Ling Tong and Zhang Liao.

Xiahou Dun and I turned around and dashed in the other direction.

* * *

**Read, enjoy, and review please. :D ...seriously...REVIEW! :(**


	10. Reunited

**HO HO! Sorry about the wait. The new semester started up for the school year.**

**Any who, I do not own any of the characters. They belong to KOEI Corporation.**

_~ The Wei Palace, Prison _

POV of Shang Xiang-

I opened my eyes to the sounds of disorder going on outside. I was able to turn my head with ease. However, I had to exert a lot of energy just to move my arms a little bit. My legs were just as weak as before. This time, I was bound by prison shackles that connected to the back wall; a cuff around both my wrists and ankles. They must have returned to add these while I was out. I was so disgusted at my appearance. I looked like a child. I saw my headband on the floor. With all my might, I crawled over to my headband. I was halted to a stop just a couple inches from it. The chains forbid me from going any further. I tried pushing my arm through the cuff opening in an attempt to reach my head band. I was so close. I pushed with all of my might, with the metal tearing a little skin off of my arm. Finally, my finger was able to touch it and drag it closer to my hand. I pulled it closer to me. I tied it around my slightly tinier head. It was difficult to move my arms, especially now with the extra weights.

I was afraid to check, but I knew I had to. Slowly, I forced my hand towards the back of my neck. I wanted to see if what he said was true. I gave it a light touch. My body began to throb in pain. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as before. *I don't understand. Maybe…maybe he needed most of it to control my body. And who were those people he was mentioning? He laughed at me when I couldn't come up with an answ-*

SLAM!* The prison door flung open. I crawled to the back corner where I was before, fearing the worst. I had my back up against the wall, while my arms fell to my sides like a rag doll. I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself. I wanted to look dead. *I don't want them to think they have anymore use for me.* Someone was running down the hall in my direction. I saw a figure run past my cell.

*What was that?*

"Is she in there?!" I heard a man's voice yell

"No, I ran all the way to the back. I don't see anyone in here." Said a second, but slightly younger voice.

"Hmm. Maybe he DID move her to a different spot."

I heard footsteps coming back from the direction the figure went to. I arched my neck forward to try and get a better view of the person. * I lifted my strained arms to try to rub my eyes. Just then I heard the footsteps stop in front of my cell. My heart began to beat quickly.

"Xiahou Dun, I think…I think there's a kid here!" the voice yelled over.

"Xiahou Dun?" I was able to speak. *Xiahou Dun had told me that my family will come get me. I want to meet them. I want a family. I hope they're nice. I hope they're here.*

"Hey, little one, you can talk? What are you doing there? Did they put you here?" the voice talked to me gently. It sounded so familiar.

"G-G-General Xiahou Dun?" I tried to raise my voice. From lack of speaking frequently, the freezing prison cell, and lack of water, talking really hurt my throat.

"Hurry! Hurry! I think it knows you!"

Xu Huang's footsteps stopped at my cell. I heard a deep sigh that shook on their exhale.

"Hel-h-hello? Are you there? Outside is it my family?"

Brief Lu Xun POV-

The child unwittingly made eye contact with me. I saw the emerald in them. My eyes widened with horror. My arms began to shake. It was her. There she was, right in front of me. She sat in a pool of her own blood looking around aimlessly with straining eyes, trying to figure out who I was. Her limbs lied on the floor so limply. She had so many cuts and bruises, like her double I had just fought. And she was…she was a child. She looked…dead. But she's not dead. She's still alive…Thank goodness.

POV of Shang Xiang-

I heard my cell door open. I saw the shorter figure walk closer to me.

I strained my eyes to make out who it was.

"Who…who are you?" my voice echoed through the prison. Just then I felt arms wrap around me.

The sudden burst of warmth…it felt so unreal. The last time I felt warmth was when Xiahou Dun visited me.

"Shang Xiang." I heard the stranger's voice break. He held me tighter. His touch and his voice sounded so familiar. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"I'm...uhhh…sorry? For what?" I asked in confusion.

He pulled away from me to look at me.

"Shang Xiang, it's me. It's Lu Xun." He said with a smile. I stared at him, trying my best to recall any memory with this 'Lu Xun' person.

"I'm sorry, b-but I don't think we've m-met before." I smiled in embarrassment.

"What? H-how do you not remember?" He let out a small, nervous laugh. "Are you joking?"

Xiahou Dun entered my cell and brought in their candle.

The light hurt my eyes. I had to look away and allow myself to get used to it again.

"Is that Xiahou Dun? Xiahou Dun, is this new 'family' you spoke of here? Is it them outside?"

"…I'm so sorry." He put his head down in shame. He walked over to Lu Xun, who was kneeling in front of me, staring at me in shock, and put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to you, too."

"I-I don't understand. Why is everyone sorry? I'm n-not sorry. So why are you all sorry? I g-get to go to a n-new home." I tried to remind them. I looked back over to Lu Xun. His face was so tormented. He lowered his head down and covered his eyes. He began to shake a little bit. My heart tugged in agony seeing him like this. *Why?* Desperate to cheer him up, I brought my cold, shaking hand over to his. My chains rattled as I approached. He flinched initially from my touch. His hand was warm. I instantly felt my hand wanting to melt into his. I brought my other hand over to his chin and lifted it so his gaze met mine.

POV of Lu Xun-

I lifted my head and again analyzed her. So many wounds, so many cuts and bruises, so much change to the point where I wondered if this is even Shang Xiang. She looked me in the eyes and smiled at me. Her emerald eyes…and her smile…this is definitely her.

"I don't remember you, but my heart does." She softly spoke while holding my hand in between both of hers. I smiled at her. She lifted her arms to hug me, but was slightly pulled back by the chains. Without thinking for a second, I leaned closer to her and we embraced each other.

"Xiahou Dun," I said while letting go of Shang Xiang. "How can we fix this?"

"That very night, Sima Yi had said that she will remain this way until we remove the shard from her body. If we do that, the darkness from her essence will leave as well."

"How do we find her essence?"

"Ummm…well…" Xiahou Dun uncomfortably trailed off.

Shang Xiang poked me in the face and then pointed at hers. I let out a long sigh.

"Well, at least we have one of those two things. We need to get back to her body quickly. Ling Tong and Zhang Liao can only last for so long."

"Who is that?"

"Not important."

"Hmph." She pouted. I turned my attention back to Xiahou Dun.

"Do you have the key to unbind her?" I asked. He approached her and unlocked her shackles. I noticed a bruise and a little loose skin hanging from where her cuts were. I clenched my fists tightly in anger.

"What the hell did he do to her?!" I exclaimed. I turned to Xiahou Dun. "This is sick! How could you let something like this go on? It's inhumane!"

"Now wait a minute. I did my absolute best to keep him away from her."

"THIS is your 'best?"

"You think I don't feel incompetent enough as it is? And do you think I'm the ONLY failure in this equation?" He looked at me and then at Shang Xiang. I looked behind my back at Shang Xiang. She had her arms covering her head in what looked like fear.

"Stop it…" she whimpered out. I bent down in front of her.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me-"

"Stop that!" She shouted, slapping my hand away. I looked at her in shock. "Both of you, stop saying those things about each other." She looked up. "And don't apologize to me. I don't remember how I got here, but I know it's my fault and my fault alone. Y-you two are here, now, and that's all th-that matters. Xiahou Dun, you did your best and it was you who gave me the s-strength to hang on. And it's because of that, that I was able to s-see my f-family. Lu Xun, you're here. I don't know who you are, but I'm with you now…" she took a deep breath, put her hand over her chest, and began to tear up. "And I feel in my heart, genuine happiness, for the first time…in a long while." She smiled at me. "Thank you both…f-for everything you've done for me."

We both smiled at her and nodded. "Can you stand up?" I asked her. She tried her very best to. She used my hand to help her up.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could do better than this." She apologized.

"No, it's all right. This isn't really surprising to me. You've been immobile long enough for some of your muscles to atrophy just a little bit. I'll have to carry you on my back for now." I bent down so she could crawl on. She put her hands around my neck firmly.

"We'll have to be quick. Let's go." Xiahou Dun commanded.

I felt Shang Xiang tense up as we ran into the light, out of the prison.


	11. Stand Up

POV of Shang Xiang-

"What are we to do now? There are guards all over the place. Surely by now they have the entire palace surrounded." I negatively admitted.

"We're not going to stop for anything. One way or another, we'll get out of this alive." He looked over his shoulder at me. "I'm sure of it." He added with a smile. We ran down many halls. I had a headache from the sudden exposure to light. *Too many lanterns lit.*

Suddenly a group of Wei soldiers found us and charged. I held on tighter so he can fight. Lu Xun drew his swords, but was stopped by Xiahou Dun. "Lord Xiahou Dun! It's you! What's going on?" The Wei soldiers shouted in confusion.

"Wei has been infected by a traitorous parasite. From here on out, you will only take orders from Lord Cao Cao, General Zhang Liao, and myself. Nobody else, understand?" He took leadership with a commanding, strong voice. The Wei soldiers bowed and let us pass.

We approached the main hall where it looked like a lot of damage had been done. Pillars cut in half, curtains torn, busted furniture, lanterns and torches knocked over, and dirtied rugs.

"Lu Xun…did you do all of this?" I asked with surprise.

"…Not exactly."

"We have to keep moving. Zhang Liao and Ling Tong can only last for so lon-AHH!" Xiahou Dun was interrupted by severe pain.

"Lord Xiahou Dun!" A shout escaped from my mouth as he collapsed to the ground. We looked over and saw a chakram lodged within his shoulder. *Are those…mine?* My eyes widened in horror. My head slowly looked behind to see my body, holding my other chakram, with an emotionless look held on its face.

"This can't be…" My arms began to lose strength and I fell off of Lu Xun's back onto my knees. I couldn't move. I stared at my 'body' and everything around it.

"Shang Xiang!" Lu Xun turned to help me back up, but froze when he turned around to see the same horrible site I had. Several yards away, two men were lying on the ground covered in blood, unconscious. The light radiating from the lanterns reflected faintly off of their blood. Standing right in between them was 'myself,' completely un-phased by 'its' crimes. "Lord Ling Tong…General Zhang Liao…" Lu Xun slowly said in shock.

"No…This can't be…This can't be!" I brought my hands up to my face in horror. I was frozen in disbelief, thinking about the destruction my 'body' did in just a matter of minutes. Its head turned towards me, but its eyes, as white and just as blank as its expression, seemed like it was looking straight through me. Almost as if it knew I was distracted, it quickly threw my other chakram at me in great speed.

"Shang Xiang!" Lu Xun grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the way, the chakram barely cutting my shoe. He slid us over to Ling Tong's body. "I need you to check his condition. Can you do that?" He asked urgently. I nodded my head. Lu Xun then quickly got up and drew his swords. He charged at my body, who began dodging his attacks like an acrobat. While they fought, I pushed Ling Tong over on his back and began to search for his wounds.

"P-…princess?" Ling Tong said weakly. He was still alive.

"You know me, too? Uh! I'm sorry! Where does it hurt most?"

Confused, he raised his eyebrow. "Just my side, but I can still fight." He lifted himself up.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea." I replied nervously. I urged him to take it easy. *I don't know what to do. I can't fight. Lu Xun needs help getting my body under control. Ling Tong is losing blood rapidly, but so far, he's the only help we have…What should I do?* I felt a slight sliver of panic crawl into me.

Suddenly, Lu Xun was thrown into the wall behind us, with a loud crash.

"Lu Xun!" Ling Tong yelled and instinctively got up. He groaned in pain and took hold of his side while running over to Lu Xun. I tried to get on my feet. My legs were so weak. I didn't realize until now, when it really matters, how useless I am. *If I'm like this…why is my 'body' not the same? I could barely move when I was still one with it. So how can 'it' move normally now?*

"As I stated to you before, Princess, your body is filled with my dark magic." Sima Yi approached from out of the shadows across the room. "Every limb, every muscle, and every vein is filled with it. It is my puppet. You, on the other hand, are just as weak as you were before. Essence or no; your very being has been beaten down into the weak trash that you are now!" He laughed with a condescending tone.

My eyes narrowed at the very sight of him, let alone his voice. In a mix of defiance and desperation, I continued to try and stand before him. I was exhausted, but I wasn't going to let him win. Finally, I was able to stand up straight, and with confidence. My hands clenched tightly and I stared back at him.

"Hmph. You may be able to stand, but can you protect yourself?" At the last second, I noticed my body running at me with the chakrams. I quickly dodged it. As it passed me, I grabbed one of the weapons. It yanked me forward, but as I was being thrown, my 'body' lost its grip and let go of the weapon. *What is this? How am I able to withstand such strength with the little that I have?* I had one of the chakrams.

"Ha!" I said in defiance. "But…How do I use only one?" I turned the chakram back and forth, analyzing it.

"Such a fool." Sima Yi sighed. My body charged at me again. Without thinking, I rolled under 'its' legs and stood up behind it. With all my strength, I tried to slice the shard on the back of 'its' neck. "Hmm. I don't think so." Sima Yi raised his hand and clenched his fist.

The shard in my 'body's' neck shined brightly, blinding me. The veins resurfaced more boldly on it. Simultaneously, I froze and felt the deep pain. My veins rose to the surface of my skin. The pain was so sharp all over; My mouth was gaping, but I couldn't even let out a scream. My chakram fell from my hands, slamming against the ground.

"YAHH!" A not so subtle pirate charged at Sima Yi. My 'body' dashed in front of him. "What? Lady Shang Xiang? What's going on here?"

"Gan Ning, be careful! You can't hurt her body!" Ling Tong ran over to help.

Tears began to stream down my face from the pain.

"Shang Xiang! No! Sima Yi, stop!" Lu Xun shouted. He dashed towards Sima Yi, seeing an opening, while Ling Tong and Gan Ning had my 'body' pre-occupied.

"I don't think so!" Sima Yi glared at Lu Xun. He raised his fist higher, and closed it tighter and tighter.

I was lifted into the air, my veins began to throb, and the tears I shed turned into blood. A painful, agonizing scream broke out of me. "Make it stop!"

Lu Xun stopped dead in his tracks.

"If you come any closer, I will destroy her." Sima Yi angrily threatened him. Lu Xun looked at Sima Yi and then back at me with sad, desperate eyes.

"Ok…Ok! Ok! Stop! Just stop hurting her!" he begged, sheathing his swords.

"That's the way." Sima Yi opened up his hand. The pain came to a stop as I fell to the ground.

I inhaled heavily, trying to catch my breath. My heart pulsated at great speeds due to the strain of this torture. My mind was blank from the nightmare I just went through. The veins disappeared from the surface. I wiped the blood from my eyes and off of my face. Lu Xun ran over to me and kneeled in between me and Sima Yi. He lifted my head in his arms, shielding me from Sima Yi. Ling Tong and Gan Ning were flung over on the ground near us. Sima Yi began to laugh at our hopeless situation. Lu Xun was staring down at me with tormented, defeated eyes. I tried to keep my eyes open. *Why…Why does he have that face? This familiar, gentle face? And why does it make me feel so…so…?*

"Four officers of Wu, and this is what is presented before me? Pathetic, incompetent fools." Sima Yi proceeded toward us.

"Sima Yi!" a loud, strong, booming voice shouted. Annoyed, but keeping a straight face, Sima Yi looked to the palace's main entrance.

Cao Cao, emperor of Wei, stood before us. Standing by his sides were an exhausted Zhang Liao and Xiahou Dun, holding his wounded shoulder. Cao Cao looked at the four of us with serious eyes, "Leave my kingdom." He sternly commanded.

We all looked at him in disbelief. "Get the hell out of here," Zhang Liao gritted through his teeth nervously. Lu Xun nodded. He picked me up and carried me in his arms. The four of us ran out of the palace as fast as we could. I tried to look back at Xiahou Dun, who was looking back at me as we passed the three of them. I mouthed the words 'thank you' to him and he returned a simple nod.


	12. Familiar World

**Okey dokey. This section of the story was actually a little extra fun to write. It's nice to write out extremely positive experiences happening to the characters for once. Hehe. **

**I do not own any of the characters. They belong to KOEI Corporation.**

* * *

~ _The Wu Palace, Sun Quan's Quarters_

POV of Lu Xun-

"My Lord, if there is any punishment for our failure, please punish me. I was the one who was in charge of this rescue operation. I was the reason for this. I was the-"

"Enough." Sun Quan cut me off. He held his hands behind his back and paced slowly around the room in deep thought. Ling Tong and Gan Ning watched him with nervous eyes, afraid of what will happen next. I no longer cared what happened to me. I let him down. I let the Sun family down. I let Shang Xiang down.

The silence was becoming unbearable. His expression was neither anger nor sadness. I couldn't get a grasp of what he could possibly be thinking.

Finally breaking the silence, "My sister…has no memory of me…memory of her family…memory of us…" he gestured to everyone. "She is trapped in the form of her childhood self and went through unspeakable, incomprehensible…" he couldn't speak the last words. "She's still infected with this maniac's magic and her actual body is under his control…" With each and every truth of reality he spoke, it pounded against my very core. "And yet…" We looked up at him.

"Even with all of those things weighing against my heart,…I'm still so happy based on one fact: That she has returned to us alive." He turned to the three of us, and got on his knees.

"My Lord?" Ling Tong reacted in shock. Sun Quan kneeled down, put his hands on the floor, and lowered his head, bowing in deep gratitude to us. My eyes widened in disbelief.

"I cannot express how thankful and blessed I am to have the finest and most courageous officers in my service." He peacefully spoke, raising himself back up with a content smile.

I was speechless.

"My Lord, your words are too much for us!" Ling Tong admitted.

"Hey, no problem, Lord Sun Quan! It was our pleasURR-" Gan Ning happily spat out before Ling Tong elbowed him in the stomach.

"Please, accept my gratitude. Although things aren't as happy as they could be, this is still a wonderful occasion to celebrate. I'm sure you're tired and hungry. I'm having my personal cooks prepare you the finest meal they can offer. And, Ling Tong, you must take it easy, too because of that wound on your side. Those were the physician's orders, yes?" He said with the same smile.

"Food?! All right!" Gan Ning cheered.

"But…but, my Lord…?" Ling Tong still confused.

"Quit your gabbin, Ling Tong! There's a feast waitin for us!" Gan Ning reminded while dragging Ling Tong out of the room.

I was still in disbelief. Sun Quan looked over at me and proceeded to walk over.

"I know this may seem wrong. It may seem backwards to you, but I truly am grateful for what you did, Lu Xun." He placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Why...?" I finally spoke out. "How are you able to thank me?" I looked up at him. "This whole mess is my fault, my lord." My breath began to quiver. He kept his gaze over me. "How can this possibly be a good thing?"

"Because she is still here. She is now here with her loved ones, safe, and warm." He tried to reassure me. "She is no longer locked up in a cold, dark prison cell. And she will no longer have to endure anymore of the pain that she had."

"Sir, how are you able to choose to ignore the dark side of this situation?" There was a moment of silence.

"…After all that she went through in that darkness…and after all she endured…I am happy that she is here…and that fate refused to see her perish." He admitted. My eyes shot up to his. "Lu Xun, for your own sake, choose to see the light in all of this. Dark emotions beget more dark emotions...and it can only feed on itself." He walked out of the room, leaving me alone to think about the words he just spoke.

_~ The Wu Palace, Sun Shang Xiang's Room, Dream_

POV of Shang Xiang-

*So many faces…Here I am again…floating in a pit of nothingness…it's so quiet…

'Hi' I suddenly heard a voice echo.

'Who are you?' I asked it.

'I'm not sure, honestly. I know it's silly, but I guess I am just different that way.' The voice cheerfully admitted.

'That's so sad. You don't know who you are. Everyone has an identity. You're no exception.'

'Oh, I am sure you're correct, but tell me, who are you?' it asked in return.

'My name is Sun Shang Xiang.'

'Such a lovely name. Did your father name you that?'

'I don't…I think…well, I guess I don't remember my father…or if I ever had one.'

'Hmmm…well, what if I showed you something? Will that help?' it offered.

'I doubt it…but ok.' Suddenly, out of the black abyss appeared the faces I saw earlier.

'Do you know any of these faces?' they all floated in front of me. I scanned each of them.

'I don't.' I sadly admitted.

'Such a shame. One of them is your father, but the others are just as important.'

'Please push me no further. I do not recall any of these strangers you present to me.'

'I refuse to give up; for if I had, you would have died a long time ago.'

'What?...answer me truthfully…who are you?'

'I am an important part of you. I cried with you when you lost your mother and father. I cried with you when you lost your older brother. I cried with you every night in that prison, but reminded you every second of who you still have. I gave you the strength to stand up and fight back before! And I am begging and crying for you right now. You must remember!'

'Remember?' I felt myself being pulled upwards towards a light. The surface looks like water…I need…I need to breathe!*

I gasped a huge breath of air, feeling like I was about to suffocate.

"What was that?" I sat up and raised my hand to my forehead. "The faces…who were those faces?" My chest began to hurt again. Such a sad feeling overcame me. "And why do I feel this pain every time I think about them?" I frustratingly spoke while clutching my blanket…blanket? *I have a blanket…* "I have a bed!" I excitedly became aware of my new surroundings.

I threw my legs out of bed, but I instantly collapsed to the floor. "Ouch…" I rubbed my cheek. "I don't understand…I could stand and run and do so much more before…why can't I now?" I slowly began to lift myself up onto my feet, using a desk to help me keep balance. "Woah…a desk…and a chair!" a wide smile grew across my face. I began to fully take in what was around me. *So exciting!*

"It smells like…roses or some kind of clean scent in here…no hint of muck at all…Oh my gosh…a pillow…it's so warm and soft! Noooo way! A rug!" I began to rub my feet against it. "No wonder falling didn't hurt as bad. Clothes…my clothes!" I looked down at myself and realized I was in a shiny, red robe made of silk. "It's so pretty…, but I think it's a little big for me." The sleeves went way past my hands and I had to lift the bottom of the robe up if I wanted to walk without tripping myself.

There was a pretty wooden dresser across the room. Pulling the drawers open to it, my mouth dropped in amazement at the assortment of clothing stored inside. It held a lot of athletic kind of outfits, but there were also a few bright, delicate outfits that look like they've rarely been, if at all, worn. Flowers in intricate vases rested on several tables and stands. Curious of their smell, I inhaled their scent. "So this is where the smells from! How lovely. A peony flower. I think this will become my favorite." I excitedly declared.

The walls were covered in beautiful paintings of landscapes and portraits of people. However, one painting stood out. I slowly made my way towards it. Lying in front of this picture was what seemed to be a small shrine. It had candles and incense in front of it. I approached the picture. It was a painting of a beautiful woman with long brown hair, wearing a lovely red robe standing next to a tall, confident-looking man who wore red armor and a tiger pelt around his waist. He rested a sword under his hands. I noticed the woman wearing a peculiar locket around her neck. I narrowed my eyes and moved my head a little closer. It was a heart shaped locket made of gold. A scroll under the painting read: Emperor Sun Jian, The Tiger of Jiang Dong, and Lady Wu.

Again, the pain in my chest arose. I felt wetness falling down my cheeks. Bringing my hand up to wipe it away, I realized that they were tears. "But…but what am I crying for?" I took one last look at the painting and before I turned away, I bowed to it in respect.

I continued to explore the room. My attention was caught by a stand. It looked like a weapon stand. "Where's the weapon? What a waste of a nice stand. If I had my chakrams, I would let them rest here! Hmm…" I made my way towards a large trunk. I clicked the latch open to get a peek inside. *Good lord, this lid is so heavy* I struggled with it at first, but was finally able to push it over. With eager eyes and hands, I began to sift through it. "Blankets…more blankets…parchment…empty ink trays…" I suddenly saw something at the very bottom of the trunk. I lifted the object up, and discovered that it was a bow. It was such smooth wood and the linen string was still held in tightly. There was something about it. I don't know how, but I felt like I could use it. I slowly stood back up and flipped the bow over back and forth, taking in any information I could about it. I rolled up my long sleeves and I held the shaft of the bow firmly in my left hand and used my right hand to pull back the string, trying my best to imitate the form of its usage correctly.

"Such a strong weapon. This is new to me, but it feels so familiar." I looked around the room to see if I could use something to shoot with. I decided to rummage through the trunk again. "There was plenty of junk in there. Surely there's something." I found a miniature arrow, the size a child uses. "Well this should certainly work. Just my luck." I put the arrow in place and held the form I held a minute ago to shoot. I aimed at one of the peony flowers. I was shaking a lot, so I took a deep breath and fired. It shot through the flower so fast that the vase holding the flower fell over and crashed to the floor.

"Woah…BULLSEYE!" I shouted with excitement. My adrenaline was pumping, but the excitement soon stopped when I heard footsteps approaching the door. My stomach sank and I began to sweat and shake uncontrollably. *Who is coming? I hope it's not HIM. Please don't let it be.* I limped my way over to the bed and hopped up on it, hiding myself under the blankets. *Please don't let it be him. Please don't let it be him. Please don't let it be him.*

The door opened. My heart felt like it came to a sudden halt. *Someone is there. Someone is in the room.* I tried my best to breathe slowly and quietly. My sweating worsened with each second. The person walked into the room and moved the chair that was at the desk. Then I heard nothing. *I guess they're gone.* A deep sigh of relief was released as I poked my head out from under the blankets.

"Hi." A voice said. I gasped a high pitch squeal in fright and hid back under the covers. "Good grief, Shang Xiang, get out from under the covers."

"Who am I speaking to?" I inquired while still 'hiding.'

"Well, why don't you see for yourself? I promise. I would never hurt you." The voice encouraged. After several moments of mulling it over, I cautiously peeked from under the blanket. It was the guy from the prison! The man in red. The one with the hat.

"You are…Lu Xun?" I slowly brought my head out from under the covers.

"Yeah, that's right. So you remembered?" he smiled at me.

"Of course, I do. You helped save me from the dark man, Sima Yi." I finally pulled the last of the covers off of me, sat up, and turned towards him. He looked at me for a moment and bit his lower lip.

"Tell me, do you remember anything that took place before the prison?"

I looked up at the ceiling. "I vaguely do…"

"I see…" he said disappointingly.

"But…I do remember fighting. Fighting for someone."

"Really? Can you tell me anymore?" He became intrigued.

"Well, nothing important."

"No…tell me EVERYTHING..." He insisted.

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**Yeah, I had a difficult time finding a good 'stopping' point. Shit's starting to get REAL! Haha.**

**Oh, this is goofy, but I'm going to admit that I was listening to a song from a movie soundtrack while I was writing the part where Shang Xiang was exploring her room and it just fit so perfectly! The movie: "How to Train your Dragon" the song is called "Forbidden Friendship." Anywho, for those who want to take the time to add a little music that fits the atmosphere of that part of the story perfectly, I highly recommend it. :D**

**Read, enjoy, and review pretty please. :D**


	13. Sifting through the Past

**Busy second week of school. I always underestimate how busy things can get. That's why I'm not posting as frequently as I had hoped. Thank you all for being patient. :)**

**I do not own any of the characters. All of them belong to KOEI Corporation.**

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POV of Lu Xun-

*She MUST tell me everything she knows. There has to be a way to get her memory going.* She continued looking up at the ceiling. I hope she's trying to remember.

"Actually, I recall it raining on the day I was taken."

All right. That's one step closer. It pains me to look back on that day. That was the day Shang Xiang was taken from me and when Master Lu Meng passed away. I had rested my hands on my legs and didn't realize that I was clutching my pant legs. Naturally, it didn't go by unnoticed to her.

"Hey…why are you doing that?" she suddenly asked.

"Hmm? Doing what?"

"Your hands…why are they doing that your legs?" she pointed at my legs.

I realized what I was doing and let go of my pants. "Oh, it's nothing."

"You seem in pain. Am I bothering you? Because I'll go away if I am hurting you…" she offered with a sad look.

"No! You're fine. Please…continue. Tell me more if you can." She raised an eyebrow in speculation, but decided to let it go.

"Well, I was fighting with…with my chakrams! Yeah! And I remember feeling very determined. I felt like I had something to prove. I don't remember what it was, but I do recall feeling that it wasn't worth it once I got to the prison…" She lowered her head. I'm glad she remembers at least one important part of her identity. Her fighting style, weapon, and stubbornness.

"So you fight with chakrams?" I asked, trying to make this sound like a conversation, instead of an interrogation. I'm glad I asked because her face brightened up.

"You bet! While I was in my cell, I would practice almost everything I know! The dark man took my weapons away, but I could still pretend I had them." *We use to do that back when we were training for our first specialized weapons…*

"How about any other weapons? Do you know how to use another one?"

"I don't think so." She shook her head.

"Are you sure? What about…the bow and arrow?" Her eyes suddenly locked with mine and grew wide as if I surprised her.

"Uhh…it's something I THINK I am good at, but I've never fully tried it." She replied very quickly while twiddling her thumbs, as if she thought she was guilty of a crime and I knew.*Strange…she remembers and maintains her skill with the chakrams, but she can't recall her mastery of the bow…Was it the practicing she did in the cell?*

"Hey…" she got my attention. "You are Lu Xun…but…who is Lu Xun?" I turned my head in confusion. "Why don't you tell me about YOU now?" she asked with a smile.

"You want to know about me, huh? Well, I don't see an issue with that. Go ahead. Ask me anything." I encouraged happily.

"Okay. So…what weapon do you normally use? I saw you had two swords when we were at the castle." She switched her position to sitting with her legs crossed. *She must be pretty intrigued.*

"Yes, ma'am. Those two swords you saw are my weapons. I grew up learning how to use them from a young age."

"Wow, from when you were a little kid? That's a good idea. I wish I did that!" *Ugh…you did…* "Tell me about your childhood! How did you get here? What do you do? Who is your best friend? Who were those two guys who came in and fought with us at the castle? They looked cool!" She bombarded me with loads of questions.

I took a deep breath. "My village was burned down when I was a small boy. I don't know what exactly happened to my parents. The master of these lands found me and brought me back here as a boy. I am a strategist who has been studying for years under two brilliant teachers. Those two guys you saw before were Ling Tong and Gan Ning. Gan Ning was the pirate. Well, he used to be, but then he joined us. Ling Tong was the one with the nunchucks. He-"

"Was he the guy who was badly injured?!" she suddenly spat out. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but you reminded me of the guy who was hurt and I just want to know if he's ok."

"Oh yes, don't worry. He's fine. He's been to the physician and is on the proper path to recovery." I reassured her. "Now, I think I covered all of those questions."

"Wait! No you didn't. You forgot to tell me who your best friend is." She smiled.

"My best friend…" I looked at her again. She was still so small, but she had everything that made her to be the friend I know and care about today. Her emerald eyes glistened, eager to know my answer. "I do have a best friend, but she's going through a hard time right now, so…"

"So what?" she fired back. "At least tell me what she's like." She giggled. It made me blush.

"Well…I met her when I first started attending martial arts training here in Wu."

"Oh! So when you were first brought here?"

"That's right. I had a really tough time fitting in. No one seemed to like me. It was as if they knew that I didn't belong, but then she showed up. And she approached me without a second thought. It made me feel special. It made me feel human again, honestly. She encouraged me in everything I did. And if I ever fell, she was always there to pick me back up. I wanted her to know that I was always there for her, too. No matter how far down she falls or sinks, I will always be there to bring her back up to the surface, into the light…" I didn't realize that I was smiling as I spoke my feelings directly to the person I was talking about.

"Wow…that's so beautiful, Lu Xun. It sounds like something from a story book...I hope I get to meet her while I'm here." She smiled. "Your girlfriend." She added at the end. My face instantly went red.

"What? No, she's not my girlfriend."

"Oh come on! Childhood friends, meeting each other under such circumstances, and when you told me about her, you spoke with such a tender voice. You also had a peaceful expression on your face!" She insisted with her finger pointing at me.

I let out a fake laughter, "Yeah…well, hey, it's almost mid-day. Would you like me to show you around?" I tried to change the subject.

"I would love that! But…" Her excited look suddenly faded into one of doubt and fear. "Are you sure the dark man, Sima Yi, is not here? I don't want to go anywhere if he's out there."

"Trust me. I promise you that he is nowhere near you." I gave her my hand to help encourage her. "Come on. Everything will be ok."

She was still afraid, but she nodded and gave me her hand in return.

POV of Shang Xiang

*Oh gosh, I hope we don't go where a lot of people are. What if they work for the dark man? Or…what if the dark man is watching me from somewhere* I felt my body heating up from anxiety. Lu Xun was leading me down a hallway. I could tell he was walking in slow, short strides for me because my muscles are still not as strong as they use to be. He kept his expression straight ahead, almost like he was lost in thought. I didn't realize I was staring at his face. *Why does he look so familiar? The pain in my chest, my heart, appears every time I try to distinguish these faces from one another. That portrait back in the room…'Lady Wu and Lord Sun Jian'…I felt the same pain there, too.*

"Something on your mind?" he made me jump a little. "You seem sad. Why?"

"Your face…" I admitted as he turned his head towards me. "It troubles me."

"It troubles you? Why? Do I have a wart or something gross on it?" he joked around.

"No…Every time…every time I look at you, I feel a deep pain...Nothing physical, per say, but something deeper. Something that makes me very sad." We came to a halt in the hallway. He turned towards me and bent down alittle on his knees, so he was eye-level with me. I took a few steps back, instinctively nervous.

"Why are you stepping back? I'm not going to hurt you." He gently said.

"Forgive me, but I guess I still have some trust issues." I shamefully admitted.

"No, it's all right. I understand." He said with a smile, but I noticed one of his hands twitched. "…I don't blame you." He said solemnly. "Now, can you tell me more about these pains?"

"Back in the prison, when you found me, you acted as if I knew you. You greeted me with an excited hug and your emotions were so tender…" I looked at the ground while twiddling my thumbs. I could feel my face getting warm. "And when I admitted that I didn't know you, your face…your face was filled such sadness. It bothers me even now…" I closed my eyes and narrowed my brow at the memory.

"What about it?" his voice was still the same.

"Well…did you know me before I was captured?" I raised my head and looked him straight in the eye.

"Yes."

"How close were we? What did I feel for you?" I was too interested in my identity to realize how embarrassing my question just was. His face turned mildly red and he started to scratch his head and scan the floor.

"Well…umm…we were very close." He finally said. "We were…best friends." He was able to look me in the eye again. "You and I met under special circumstances and then we were always by each other's side ever since."

Suddenly, a vision came into my head.

_~ The Vision_

*Laughter*

"I feel so silly doing this." The girl said while practicing what looked like her weapon technique.

"Don't be. Everyone else is doing it. Master Zhou Yu said it's a very important step for beginners. Not only beginners, too, but for true masters as well." The boy said who was also practicing his weapon technique.

"Yeah, yeah, but practicing our form without our weapons…sounds a little backwards, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. Think of this as a learning experience. We're the future of Wu and there's no better approach to life than to take it as a learning experience." The boy said enthusiastically.

"…You're really enjoying your apprenticeship with Master Zhou Yu, huh?" She pointed out with a smirk.

"Of course! I'm learning new things every day. He's so amazing! How's your martial arts training going?"

"It's so boring. I wanted to use REAL weapons, like a spear or…just…SOMETHING with blades. Instead they have me practicing with a lame bow…"

"Well, you're allowed to learn how to use more than one weapon, right?"

"Yeah, but I haven't decided just yet. So many options…"

"I'm sure you'll find one that suits you perfectly one day, Princess." The boy concluded.

_~ End Vision_

"Hey…hey…hey!" I regained my senses once again. "You were staring off into space for a few seconds there…Are you ok?" Lu Xun asked me.

"…Yeah…yeah, I'm fine." I took a deep breath. *So his friend he spoke...it's actually...*

"Forgive me! I just realized that you're probably hungry!" he said with a sudden burst of energy.

"Well, now that I think about it, I am a little bit." I admitted.

"Come on." He took my hand and began to almost drag me down the hall. "There is a big banquet in the dining hall. It's our lord's way of thanking us for bringing you back."

"Bringing me back? So who is your lord? Do I know him, too?"

"Uh…well…yeah! You do! But I'll explain more to you a little later." He stammered.

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**All righty. A big thanks for those keeping up and sticking with me. :)**

**Read, enjoy, and review pretty please. They're much appreciated. ;P**


	14. Panic Attack

**Wow, sorry for the incredibly late update. Exams started and I had a wedding to go to in Alaska. I live in the east coast, so it was quite an amazing trip. **

**I do not own any of the characters. They are owned by KOEI Corporation.**

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_~ The Wu Palace, The Dining Hall _

After going through many hallways, we finally reached our destination. I stared in amazement at the two giant double doors that led to the dining hall. Lu Xun peeked inside and then turned to smile at me. *Hmm? I wonder what's going on…I hope there aren't too many people inside. I don't want to be around other people I don't know.* Lu Xun opened the door all the way for me to see.

It was so bright, but there was a pleasant atmosphere resonating from the giant room. I saw a huge, sparkling chandelier, several giant royal rugs, a number of long dining tables, and two giant fireplaces on either sides of the room. *Spectacular!* I took a few steps forward and realized that there were many eyes on me. The people who were in there, stared at me with looks of shock and happiness. *I don't like this.* I looked back and forth at the many different sets of eyes that stared back at me. *Too many people.* The eyes looked at one another and then back at me again. *Too many people I don't know.* I began to sweat. *What if they want to hurt me?* My hands began to shake. *So many dark deeds.* My heart beat rapidly. *Dark…just like…just like…*

"Shang Xiang…Shang Xiang, are you all right?" Lu Xun began to kneel down next to me.

"The darkman…" I whispered. "N-no-no-no-no…just…KEEP AWAY FROM ME!" I shouted in pure fright. Without thinking, I began to run away. I went as fast as my body allowed me. It ached from exhaustion and overexertion. It felt like I had two heavy weights tied to my legs. I ran down random hallways, without the slightest clue as to where I was going. Suddenly, I felt two hands grab my arms, and I came to a halt.

"No! Not again! Please!" I turned around and slapped the person behind who had a hold of me.

POV of Lu Xun-

*Where is she? What happened back there?* I ran down the halls in search for her. *Was she afraid of everyone? Was I trying too hard and reintegrated her with everyone else too quickly? Was she simply not ready?* I heard a scream down a few hallways.

"Shang Xiang! Stop running! I'm coming! Just stay where you are! I'll find you!" I turned a corner and saw someone kneeling down, with their back to me. The person turned around. It was Zhou Tai. And standing in front of him was Shang Xiang, staring up at him in wonder.

"There you are!" I ran over. "Lord Zhou Tai, please forgive me." I bowed in apology.

"Hmm." He stood up and looked over to Shang Xiang, who was still staring at him in interest. "Behave. Stay with him." He pointed at me. She smiled slightly and nodded at him. He turned to me and bowed, and then walked away.

I ran over to Shang Xiang. "Are you all right? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you back there." She again backed away from me a little bit as if I was a tad too close.

"No, I'm fine. Hey, Lu Xun. Who was that man?"

"That was Zhou Tai. He's our lord's body guard. He makes sure our lord is safe from harm."

"You know…that makes sense!" She turned to me with astonished eyes. "He came up from behind me and well, I accidentally slapped him because he scared me, but when I looked into his eyes…I felt a reassurance…as if I suddenly just KNEW I was going to be ok…does that make sense?"

"Well, sure. He's our Lord's body guard for a reason, right?...So tell me, what happened back there?" I insisted to know. She looked at me, then at the ground.

"I got…I realized I had to go to the bathroom! Yeah, bathroom." She terribly lied. *Yeah, that's Shang Xiang. Not wanting to admit when she was afraid.*

"Be honest. The sooner you tell me the truth, the sooner I can solve the problem."

She looked ashamed. She kept her head down and continued to fiddle with her fingers. The hallway was quiet.

"I got scared, Lu Xun." She finally admitted. "I saw so many people. So many people were looking right at me. Some looked shocked and others had smiles, but there were so many of them. Too many strangers. I don't know them. I don't know what they're capable of. What if one of them was the dark man? What if one of them worked for him?" she turned to me with panic in her face.

"Shang Xiang…no one is going to hurt you." I went to give her a hug. But she stuck her hand out to keep me away. I put my arms back down and gave a quizzical look.

"I'm sorry, but…even you…I…I am still a little unsure of. I know you're not bad. I know you're not going to hurt me. I even know that you and I are very close and have been for years, but…I still don't know quite yet." She gave an apologetic look.

It hurt me to my core to hear her say that to me. I felt my stomach drop. "No, I understand. It's just your first day back. You still need time to get to know everyone again." I stood up. "And as for the things that you feared, let those drift away from your mind. You are safe here. All of the people in that dining hall are people who care about your well-being."

"Okay. I'm sorry for what I did back there. I feel a little better now." She took another deep breath.

"Me too. I think I have a little better understanding of you now as well."

"Umm, for now, can I just eat by myself…away from everyone else?" she nervously asked. I didn't want her to be isolated. I wanted her to be around the people who care about her. The people who also worried about her as much as I did should see her, too. But maybe it's not good for her to be thrown into a crowd. Maybe she needs a slower approach.

"Yeah, I think it will be ok."

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**As I stated, it isn't a very fast-winded story. Not a short one. So if it's your cup of tea, then fantastic! :D**

**Again, thanks for sticking with me. Read, enjoy, and review pretty please.**


	15. Revelation

**Sorry about the wait. I've been really tied down with school. I try my best to make time to write and expand the story. Read, enjoy, and review please. :)**

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_~ The Wu Palace, Shang Xiang's Room_

POV of Shang Xiang-

I sat in my room, waiting for Lu Xun to bring back some food. *Gosh, I'm so embarrassed. I can't believe I humiliated myself in front of all of those people. And poor Lu Xun…he was so excited for me.* I let out a long sigh. It was almost sun set. I walked around the room again, taking a look at everything once more. I walked over to the portrait with the shrine in front of it. I sat down on my knees and scanned the picture again. The pain in my heart returned. Both the woman and the man looked so familiar. With all of my might, I concentrated on their features and tried to remember.

The room fell silent. The melody from the birds outside and the wind swaying through the trees once again filled the air. The lively canvas that made up our afternoon sky was currently a deep pink that faded into an orange, which then melted into the sleepy sun. The sun had finally set.

"...Father…Mother…" my mouth quivered. I got up on my feet and approached the painting. I rested my hand up against it. "Father and Mother…it's you." My eyes swelled with tears of joy. "I remember you…I remember everything you've done for me." I thought back to many times of play I had with my father as a child. We use to wrestle together. He was surprised because I was a little girl. Instead of playing with dolls, I wanted to wrestle or fight. I remember how he took me to martial arts class every day. I also remember him giving me my mother's…locket.

I looked over to my mother's face on the painting. She passed away when I was very young. I don't have too many memories of her, but I do have them. I remember being in her arms. I remember her smell and how she was the most beautiful woman in the world. And her locket…my cherished locket.

"Mother, Father, I love you with all my heart." I bowed to the picture again.

_~ The Wu Palace, The Dining Hall_

POV of Lu Xun-

"PLEEEEASE, Lu Xun! Please let me go see her!" Xiao Qiao begged me as I was getting food.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"…Please?"

"…No."

"It's not fair! Why are you the only one who is allowed to see Shang Xiang and no one else can? You're a big ol' meanie!" she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Umm…Lu Xun." Lian Shi approached me with concern. "Forgive me…but I want to see her, too. After everything that's happened, nothing would give me more peace of mind than to see my lady."

I turned away from the table with my hands carrying two plates of food, and looked around the room. All of the Wu officers were staring at me, leaning over the dining table with curious faces. I let out a sigh.

"Ugh!" I slammed the two plates on the table in front of everyone.

"Jeez, Lu Xun, lighten up. Just tell them. It'll get them off your back, won't it?" Gan Ning blurted out while leaning back and placing both of his feet on the table.

"What?!" the two Qiaos both reacted.

"You let STUPID Gan Ning know what's going on, but you won't let US know?" Xiao Qiao protested.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not the only one who knows…Ling Tong does, too." Gan Ning ratted out, pointing at Ling Tong.

"You moron!" Ling Tong punched Gan Ning, thus starting a brawl between the two.

Everyone began to yell at one another. I closed my eyes, trying to get my senses together. Taking a deep breath, I opened them again.

"Would you guys just…SHUT UP!" my voice silenced the room. Everyone looked at me in shock, not expecting it to come from me. My face turned a deep red. I instantly began to feel embarrassed and apologetic.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Forgive me for raising my voice." I bowed to all of them in apologies. Ling Tong and Gan Ning got up from the floor and went back to their seats. "But please, stay calm. Lady Shang Xiang does not remember us." The three women gasped in horror. "Not even Lord Sun Quan."

"My lady…she doesn't remember her own brother? Nor you? Nor even…me?" Lian Shi collapsed into her chair, astonished. Xiao Qiao's bottom lip began to quiver while Da Qiao rubbed her sister's back to comfort her.

"This isn't…this isn't fair." Xiao Qiao's voice cracked. "Will she get better, Lu Xun? Will she?" she looked to me, eyes red from tears forming in her eyes.

"I strongly believe so. She already remembered some things. We just need to give her more time and surely, with each passing day, her memory will be restored." I stated positively.

"Thank goodness." Da Qiao sighed in relief. "Is that why she ran out of the room?"

I nodded my head. "She is having a really hard time trusting others right now. So I don't think surrounding her with everyone is a good idea."

"We could re-introduce her to everyone one at a time?" Ling Tong suggested.

"Yeah! Everyone of us can spend time with her for one day! I'll take her into battle with me! Or spar with her!" Gan Ning threw out.

"No, you big head. We gotta start out with something small so she doesn't freak out." Ling Tong replied.

"Oh…I knew that…" Gan Ning sneered away.

"I think re-introducing her to everyone individually, a little at a time, would be best. We'll start that tomorrow." I concluded.

_~ Shang Xiang's Room_

POV of Shang Xiang-

"Everyone wants to see me?" I asked before taking a bite of bread.

"Of course they do. They missed you and worried about you immensely." Lu Xun pointed out.

"But why? What am I to them?"

"Well…you're many things. You're the Princess of Wu, a good friend to everyone, a comrade in arms, younger sister to Lord Sun Quan, and much more." I stared at him, surprised at the many titles he just listed. "And you see, Shang Xiang, here in Wu, we're like a big family." He smiled.

"A family…" I looked up at the ceiling. I looked over at the portrait of mother and father. "Hey Lu Xun, that's my mother and father in that painting, isn't it?" I pointed at the picture.

His eyes grew wide. "Yes…Yes it is! You remembered?" I nodded my head.

"You said you're going to re-introduce me to everyone tomorrow, right? Well…I would like that. A lot." I spoke truthfully. He looked surprised. *Considering the spectacle I just made, no wonder.*

"Well of course. I told everyone that we could try that tomorrow. Really, you need to get some more rest. I know you've been asleep most of the day, but I still think it best that you sleep a little more."

I smiled at the very thought. I was pretty tired. It was, after all, an emotionally draining day.

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**I've committed myself to school and studying hard-core this semester. So, I have difficulty finding the time to write a GOOD chapter and not one I'm pulling out of my ass or one that's rushed. Thanks for hanging in there. :)**


	16. Growth

**It's been quite some time! I apologize for a long wait and for this brief update, but Spring Break is coming up within the next week, so I will have plenty of time to muse and write. Thanks to those taking the time to read my story and to those staying with it. MUCH LOVE!**

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_~ Sun Shang Xiang's Room, Dream_

'Quite a day, yes?' The voice from before returned.

'There were so many people.' I said.

'So many, indeed. Recognize any?' It asked.

'They all…looked very familiar. Something was telling me that, anyway.'

'I guess it'll take time. You regained a part of yourself already. And for that, I am beyond overjoyed.'

'Mother and father, you mean…'

'Of course, and among other things as well.'

'A chunk of my early past. That is something I remembered and embraced on my own. However…I keep hearing stories from others about me that I do not recall just yet. Why?'

'Something is in the way. Something is keeping the flow of your memories trapped.'

'Is it…is it hi-?'

A light shined through from the blackness I was floating in. The purple light…The light brought on the tearing pain again, but it didn't hurt as much. As if the light's torture is no longer as strong as it once was. The pain did not increase as it used to, but instead faded and disappeared.

My eyes forced themselves open. I was shaking a little bit. *Again? Another revelation?* I looked over towards my window to see if I can get a grasp of how early it was. A little amount of light lit up the morning sky. *The sun should be up soon. Might as well get up.* I flipped the covers off of me and gasped at a new sight. *My legs…they're longer than they were yesterday.*

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**I will update with a larger chapter within the next couple of weeks. Most likely do some editing throughout the story, too. There are some things I did that I am LOATHING right now. I take suggestions and critique into HUGE consideration and apply them. So by all means, share! Thanks, lovies. :D**


	17. Time Heals All Wounds

**Okay! Sorry for the...INCREDIBLY long hiatus. I was hoping to get this one done not long after my Spring break almost...two months ago, but then school kicked in and then I got a job. **

**So now that I am on summer break, I've been trying to overcome my writer's block and pump out a nice chapter. I hope it's not too scatter brained. I re-read the entire story so I wouldn't contradict any parts. I'll say this: playing DW7: Empires has really helped. ;)**

**I do not own any of the characters. They belong to KOEI Corporation. **

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"See, Shang Xiang? You look adorable!" Xiao Qiao shrieked with excitement.

"Umm…" A blush of embarrassment crept onto my face.

"You're right. Maybe the frilly collar and yellow stockings are a bit showy, but I couldn't resist! I've been waiting for some sort of occasion to break this out from my wardrobe because it no longer fits me and well…What do you think?" Da Qiao asked.

"It's uhh…well, it is _different._" Staring at myself in the mirror, I felt extremely uncomfortable in this fairy outfit. I turned to look at Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao's hopeful faces. Their eyes were so big and almost puppy dog-like. *Aww, man. I guess it can't be helped* "I like it. I like having something different." I lied with a smile.

"Really?! Yay! I'm so happy!" Xiao Qiao wrapped her arms around me and nearly squeezed the life out of me. "Do you think maybe a special someone will like it?" She winked at Da Qiao.

Letting out a small laugh. "I don't have a special someone." I scoffed at the very idea of someone being taken by me..

"What are you talking about? Of course you do! I know someone who likes you." She proclaimed in a sing-song voice. I shrugged at the very idea. Who could possibly…?

"Excuse me, Lady Qiaos." Lu Xun knocked and poked his head from the door.

"Well, well, well, speak of the devil. We were having an important conversation, Lu Xun" Xiao Qiao stated with hands on her hips.

"I came by to-….what on earth happened to you?" Lu Xun looked at me almost trying not to laugh. I wanted to die from embarrassment.

"She and I were playing dress up until you came in." Xiao Qiao intervened.

"Forgive me. I just wanted to state that it's almost noon and Lord Sun Quan and Lady Lian Shi were wanting to spend some time with Shang Xiang in the gardens."

"Uhh, I'll be there. I'll see you later, Lu Xun" I said, unable to make eye contact with him.

"You hear that? Now shoo! Scram! Out you go, Lu Xun." Da Qiao urged him.

"OK. OK." He closed the door. I resurfaced from behind the mirror.

"Shang Xiang, will you do us a favor?" Xiao Qiao turned around with a smile. I turned my head with a quizzical expression. "Will you…wear that for the rest of the day?"

…Oh, brother…

~ _The Wu Palace, Palace Gardens_

Lian Shi, Quan, and I spoke at length as we enjoyed an afternoon walk. Although I vaguely remember Lian Shi, I felt very safe with her. She reminded me of an almost motherly figure. Quan has appeared a few times in my dreams lately. He, along with another man, and I grew up together. I know this for sure.

"My lady, I can't express into words how happy I am, how happy WE are, to have you back home." Lian Shi spoke as we walked side by side.

"Although things can definitely be a great deal better, you are home. And that's what I care about the most." Quan added. Lian Shi turned to me with an almost sad, but caring smile on her face.

"I promise you that I will do better to protect you."

"You don't have to do that. I feel safe already." I tried to sound extra cheerful for her.

"You don't understand," I looked over and saw tears forming in her eyes. "When I heard that you were taken from us, I felt so scared, so worried. If I had been there…I could have…" The tears fell down her face as she brought one hand to rub her eyes. I grabbed her other hand and cupped it in between mine. I smiled.

"All of you don't deserve the blame that you're placing on yourselves. I know…I know without a doubt that what happened was my fault. That battle I was captured in, I remember I felt I had something to prove. It's on me. Please, Lian Shi, don't cry. You'll make me cry, too."

She returned a smile to me and we continued walking.

"So Sun Quan…, you truly are my brother." I admitted.

"You…you remembered?" His eyes widened with surprise.

"Yeah, that and Lu Xun told me, but I'm starting to remember some things from before. Like how you and Lian Shi are together." I looked over to Lian Shi. "I'm happy that he has someone like you."

~ _The Next Day, The Training Grounds_

*I'm supposed to meet Gan Ning and Ling Tong here, but I don't see them.*

"…Hello?" I looked around the deserted area.

~ _The Wu Place, The Dining Hall_

P.O.V of Lu Xun

"Are you all right, Lu Xun?" Lian Shi snapped me back to reality.

"Huh?" I looked over partially startled.

"You've been standing in that same spot constantly tapping your foot or pacing back and forth. What could be on your mind?"

"I'm sure you have a good idea."

"I do have a good guess." She nodded with a sly smile.

"I wanted to go out there with her. The very thought of THOSE TWO getting Shang Xiang to warm up to them again makes me nervous."

"So why didn't you go with her?" I let out a sigh at the question.

"…I'm sure you've noticed… How much she's started to grow since we brought her back. It's only been a few days, but she's made so much progress. The more she remembers, the more confident she gets. She didn't want me to come along."

"So what is the problem? This is a good thing, my dear." She smiled.

"I know…I just…don't want-"

"You're very protective. One could say you're being over-protective. However, I don't blame you." She looked down into her cup. "I believe all of us are getting that feeling as well. We just need to remember that she is no longer in the state she was in before. It's nothing but happy days for her now." She concluded with a genuine smile.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." I smiled back, reassured.

A sudden loud explosion blasted throughout the halls of the palace.

The ground rumbled beneath us. We both jumped to our feet and ran toward the explosions.

"What's going on?" We reached the back exit of the palace, the way to the training grounds.

I suddenly heard screaming in the distance. A single scream. It was faint, but got louder as if it was running towards us. A flash of brownish-red hair, the source of the scream, flashed by us. We stopped dead in our tracks, confused. Then it hit me.

"Shang Xiang?!" I turned around. She stopped running and turned to us, breathing rapidly. I went over urgently. "Are you ok? What's going on?" I asked in a panic.

"Th…they-" she spoke between breaths as she was bent down, hands on her knees. "Explosions…"

"…Where are they? Where are those two?" Beginning to storm off, I was livid.

"Wait, were they playing that game again where they set off many prototype bombs?" Lain Shi asked.

"…Sooo cool." Shang Xiang spoke. We both turned to her, surprised. She lifted her head and had a huge smile on her face. Lian Shi laughed first as she looked at me.

I guess it took a little for it to sink in for me. My laughter of relief began to surface seconds later. Shang Xiang was actually having…fun.

~ _The Next Day_

P.O.V of Shang Xiang

"…" Zhou Tai sat and stared at me from across the table.

"…" I kept my eyes on his for as long as I could.

"…"

"…" He still wasn't budging.

"…"

"…" I refused to back down.

_"…"_

_"…" _My eyes began to water_._

_"…"_

_"…" *_No, he's going to win!*

_"…"_

_Blink*_ "No!"

"Wow, Shang Xiang. You lasted a lot longer than I thought you would." Quan laughed.

"I thought I had you! Darn it!" I pointed at Zhou Tai, who smiled back.

~ _The Training Grounds, Early in the Morning_

It's been one week since I've been back. I've remembered and grown so much. Lian Shi says that I'm 1 inch under my original height. That's what she thinks anyway. I'm certainly a lot taller than I was when I returned home. I'm still getting use to everyone.

"Huh…there aren't any weapons here." I touched the empty weapons rack.

"Yeah, I know. I put them away." Lu Xun walked out while stretching his arms. "I thought it would be best if we went back to our roots." He finished stretching and crouched in a battle stance. I smiled and joined him.

"Ready?" He smiled.

"Ready." We both smoothly, but slowly moved around the training ring in what occasionally felt like a dance. This was just like the vision I had not long ago: A boy and girl motioning their own unique fighting techniques. I was so engulfed into practicing. I certainly haven't forgotten what I'm capable of in battle. Whenever we would pass each other, I would glance at Lu Xun. He was smooth and precise. He looked so…great. I felt a smile grow on my face.

With everything that I have accomplished this past week, I also remembered how close Lu Xun and I are. The memory of how we met and those shared in childhood, I regained so many. I've come to understand that I was the best friend he was referring to when we spoke to one another my first day back in Wu. In my heart, I knew he was always important. When he rescued me from my cell and chains, I knew. When he always worried about my safety, I knew. When he gave his all just for me, I knew.

"Oh!" I let out in surprise from backing into Lu Xun's front. I turned to look at him. He was standing right in front of me. We were just inches away from each other. I looked up at him. He looked down at me.

"Well, at least I'm only a couple inches shorter than you now." I giggled.

He smiled in a very serene way.

Without thinking, we both embraced each other tightly. I rested my head on his chest and clutched the back of his shirt.

"I missed you." I spoke with tears in my eyes.

"And I missed you." He held me tighter.

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**I noticed how after I posted the previous chapter, interest in this story really took off. That gave me a lot of inspiration to keep going. Thanks so much for reading and keeping up with my story. So much love! :)**


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